Cursed inheritance
by Dark Lady of Witchcraft
Summary: COMPLETE*Vega Starlight comes to Hogwart as a new DADA teacher. Snape seems to know her and his feelings about her are far from indifference. Meanwhile Voldemort is waiting for the results of his spies mission. Who can be trusted in such dangerous times ?
1. Mark of the Dark Wizard

  


** CURSED INHERITANCE**

  
1.Mark of the Dark Wizard   
  
_(July 24th, 1995)_  
  
'Severus' said Dumbledore, turning to Snape 'you know what I must ask you to do. If you are ready...if you are prepared...'  
  
'I am' said Snape.  
  
He looked slightly paler than usual and his cold, black eyes glittered strangely.  
  
'Then, good luck' said Dumbledore and he watched, with a trace of apprehension on his face, as Snape swept wordlessly after Sirius.  
  
After leaving the hospital wing, Potion Master went quickly towards the dungeons. His black robes fluttered like enormous wings. His gloomy face didn't express any feelings but the eyes were concentrated as if Snape watched closely a mysterious goal and calculated how to achieve it.  
  
He reached his office, closed the door and put a blocking spell on it. Then he approached a glass-case full of his most precious potions in the coloured bottles. He chose on of them but didn't raise it. Instead, he turned it 180 degrees. Without any noise a thin crack appeared in the back part of the case. Snape touched it with his wand. The back glass disappeared and a small niche opened in the wall behind. There were some scrolls of parchment, three grey phials, a broken horn of the unicorn and some other horror looking stuff, no doubt connected with the powerful Dark Arts. Snape, however, took a metal chain with a black, spider-shaped locket on it. Its short legs, curved into one direction, made it looking like a swastika. Snape watched the locket with a real disgust but he took the chain and put it on the desk. He turned to the case and from under the parchments he pulled out a white mask. He put it into his pocket, closed the glass-case, lit a candle and sit down at the desk, watching the locket.  
  
'So it happened' he said quietly 'A moment has come to use it.'  
  
He reached for a chain and moved it closer to the light. Black surface was smooth and glazy. Snape was watching it, lost in thoughts.  
  
'My pass to the Death Eaters' he smiled ironically 'May it proves worth its price.'  
  
He put the chain on and hid it under his robes. He got up and approached an extinguished fireplace.  
  
'_Incendio_' he muttered.  
  
Light flames shot out. Snape took a small box from the shelf.  
  
'I am ready' he whispered 'I has been ready for four years...'  
  
He opened the box, he took a pinch of the powder and scattered it into the fire. The flames turned blue. Severus rolled up his left sleeve. The Dark Mark, although not so bright as in the moment of Voldemort's rebirth, was still well visible. Snape touched the mark with his wand and called silently into the flames:  
  
'Lucius!'  
  
For a moment nothing happened but suddenly a masked head in a large hood appeared in the fire.  
  
'Severus ...?!'  
  
'Yes, that's me' whispered Snape 'Is that true? Is that true that he ... that our Master... came back?'  
  
Malfoy's head was silently staying in the flames.  
  
'Tonight I felt my Dark Mark burning' continued Snape, his voice trembling with excitement 'Like before ... like in the times when our Master called us. I couldn't believe that. Did he come back?! Tell me!' he almost shouted 'Did he ?!'  
  
'Loyal Death Eater answers his master calling without considering what is possible and what is not.' said Malfoy at last. His voice was icy and full of contempt 'You disappointed me, Severus. For all these years I believed you were a loyal servant of Lord Voldemort. I believed that when the day would come, we would answer his call together, as before.'  
  
Snape was looking intently into the fire, strained.  
  
'But today' said Malfoy 'I didn't find you in a Dark Circle. You didn't join us, the ones who stayed faithful, when our Master, Lord Voldemort, came back.'  
  
'So it IS true !' whispered Snape, his voice full of satisfaction 'After all those years... he came back...'  
  
'If I were you I wouldn't be so glad' Malfoy interrupted, sneering 'I am not the only one you disappointed. Lord Voldemort noticed your absence. And he doesn't forgive the traitors.'  
  
'I'm not a traitor !' hissed Snape, his eyes glittered darkly ' You know it well. You must have forgotten what my matters are. In Hogwart, right under Dumbledore's nose. How do you think' he asked ironically 'would I explain my sudden disappearance? And just after Potter had disappeared.'  
  
'Potter!' snarled Malfoy 'He escaped. Lord was furious. Did he come back to Hogwart?' he asked, this time in a friendlier manner.  
  
'He did' said Snape calmly. He felt that now, when he knew something Voldemort didn't know, he started to dominate. He smiled gloomily. 'Some interesting things happened in the school that Lord would be glad to hear about. I'll tell him everything and he surely understand why did I delayed my arrival.'  
  
'May your information is really worthy' said Malfoy harshly 'I wouldn't expect a nice welcome. Lord wasn't satisfied with us. He told we had let him down' Lucius' voice quavered a bit.  
  
'Where is he ?' asked Snape 'I will go there immediately.'  
  
'Potter didn't tell, where he had met the Lord ?' asked Malfoy suspiciously. 'Of course he did !' Snape smiled cynically 'But I don't think any of you were waiting in this cemetery to face a whole party of Aurors.'  
  
Snape's black eyes glittered with a vindictive satisfaction. He was sure that just after Harry's escape all Death Eaters Disapparated. Even Dark Lord has not been prepared yet to start an open fight.  
  
'You don't think I'm going to tell you, where he is' said Malfoy with irony 'As long as he does not forgive and trust you, I will not do that.'  
  
Snape's pale face twisted with fury.  
  
'You fool!' he barked 'When he knows...'  
  
'Wait, Severus' Malfoy was very calm 'I will not tell you, where he is. I will take you there. Let's meet in the same place as usual, in half an hour.'  
  
He disappeared. The flames turned to the previous colour. Snape smiled with a gloomy satisfaction.  
  
'So far everything is shaping up according to my wishes' he said quietly 'But a real trial is still before me'.  
  
He stepped up a great wooden chest with metal fittings and raised the cover. On a very top there laid an old broom. He took it out and drew his hand over the stick. The broom was shabby and obviously weren't used for a long time. Snape, however, didn't bother about it. He put out the candle, pointed his wand towards the fireplace and said: '_Nox_.' The room got plunged in darkness. Snape threw on a long cloak with a hood, jumped on the broom, flew to the small window near the ceiling and opened it. Under the new moon the school grounds were completely dark. Without a sound, like an overlarge black bat, Potion Master rushed to Hogsmead.  
  
After ten minutes he landed on the edge of the village, hid his broom under a bush and Disapparated. In a split second he was miles away from Hogwart, on the yard of an old, abandoned house. The house he was born in and spent his early childhood, brought up by his Muggle grandmother. Snape shivered. He hated this house but always something attracted him here. That's way they made it a meeting place in their group of Death Eaters.  
  
Snape controlled his watch. Ten minutes left. As for Malfoy, he will be very punctual, as usual. Severus put on white mask and hood. He sat on a stone, the only remnant of a broken bench, and sank in gloomy thoughts.  
  
Suddenly he heard a silent voice 'Pop'. He raised his head and saw a hooded figure approaching him. Snape stood up.  
  
'Hello, Lucius. On time, as usual.'  
  
'And you are always first' said Malfoy venomously 'I told Lord that we would come. He is expecting us and especially you. He announced a special welcome' he added with a sneer.  
  
Snape made no comment though he felt a cold thrill on his back.  
  
'Well, I expected something like that' he thought 'I knew Lord would like to punish me. But I bear it. I have to. And the...when I tell him everything... 'Let us go!' he said to Malfoy.  
  
Lucius pull something out his pocket. It was a human skull, so small that it must have belonged to a child. He looked at his watch and moved the skull towards Snape.  
  
'It's a Portkey. In a minute it will take us to the new seat of Lord Voldemort.'  
  
Snape put his hand on the skull. Seconds were passing. Suddenly a horrible force tore him away from the ground and sucked into a roaring whirl.  
  
When he felt the ground again, he was standing on the stone floor. He raised his head and realised they were in a large, dimly lit hall of an old castle. Malfoy move one step forward and bent in a low bow.  
  
'It's me, Master' he said "I brought him.'  
  
Snape followed his glance. In the far end of the hall stood a dark obsidian throne. Severus felt his mouth drying. On the throne Lord Voldemort was sitting, looking at him with his red eyes full of rage and cruelty. Snape fell down on his knees.  
  
'So finally my devoted servant has arrived' a cold voice spoke that made Snape shudder 'Servant too cowardly to answer my call immediately.'  
  
'Master' began Snape, rising his head 'Let me explain...'  
  
'_Crucio!_' roared Voldemort.  
  
Severus fell on the floor, twisting in pain. Every nerve of his body was burning, shining red circles were blinking under his eyelids. Voldemort observed his victim with cruel satisfaction. Malfoy moved back and stand motionless, face turned towards tortured Snape.  
  
Dark Lord lowered his wand. Snape was lying motionless for a moment, then slowly began to get up. Voldemort was looking at him with a mischievous twinkle and just when Snape raised his head, he cried:  
  
'_Crucio!_'  
  
If Snape thought nothing can be worse than the pain he suffered, he was wrong. No one has ever cast on him two _Cruciatus_ one after another so he didn't know that their power will merge and torture will become almost unbearable. He desperately tried not to cry but he couldn't stop horrible, bestial moan.  
  
Voldemort got up and lazily went towards Death Eaters, his wand still pointing at Snape. He leant over tormented wizard and tore off his mask. Snape's face, usually so pale, now was grey-blue, twisted in expression of terrible pain. Blood was dripping from his mouth.  
  
Lord smiled with a real pleasure. He lowered the wand. Snape's body trembled and stiffened. Voldemort kick him but Severus didn't move.  
  
'I suppose I had overdone my little punishment' Dark Lord smiled venomously 'Well, I must admit I'm a bit disappointed. I expected Severus to resist longer.'  
  
He looked scornfully at lying Death Eater and turned to Malfoy.  
  
'Did he say what had happened at Hogwart?'  
  
'No...' answered Malfoy.  
  
'Well, sooner or later we will know. My faithful servant...'  
  
'He is dead.' somebody whispered from the floor.  
  
Voldemort turned around and stared at Snape. Wizard was still lying on the ground, breathing heavily.  
  
'What did you say ?' asked Voldemort with disbelief.  
  
'Barty Crouch Junior is dead' repeated Snape with effort 'He was kissed by a Dementor, brought by Cornelius Fudge.'  
  
Voldemort looked livid.  
  
'How did they denounced him?' he barked.  
  
'He revealed himself' explained Snape 'When Potter came back and told us about your rebirth, Master, Crouch completely lost his head. He took the boy into the castle and this made Dumbledore suspicious. Then, under _Veritaserum_, he told us everything.'  
  
'Not everything' said Voldemort with a mysterious smile 'Nobody, even the most faithful servant, knows all the plans of Lord Voldemort. Anyway,' the red eyes glittered coldly 'his mission was dangerous from the very beginning. Barty knew only what he could have known not to reveal his master's secrets to his enemies. What's a pity' he said with no grief 'A spy in Hogwart was very useful...'  
  
He looked thoughtfully at Snape who has already rose to his knees.  
  
'That makes me think about you, Severus' said Voldemort ' I heard different rumours. Some said you had renounced me and confessed' Dark Lord's eyes glittered sinisterly 'that even before my downfall you had been Dumbledore's spy. Others claim ' he proceeded, giving silent Malfoy a quick glance 'that at heart you still remain a faithful Death Eater. You answered my call, with delay, but of your own free will... Point for you. This traitor Karkaroff simply run away...but I will find him.' he smiled vindictively 'However, Dumbledore seems to trust you if he let you be a teacher at Hogwart. So, be so kind and explain me, what is a truth. And it would be better to convince me...' he added sinisterly.  
  
'Master' said Snape, excitement shining in his cold black eyes 'I've been waiting for this moment for years...since you have appeared in Quirell's body...'  
  
'You liar !' yelled Voldemort 'You think I've forgotten ?! You did all your best to stop me with Philosophers Stone. You threatened Quirell, you wanted to make him confess...'  
  
'Yes !' interrupted Snape with fanatical expression on his face 'Since I have known the truth, my only goal was to allow my master to leave a body of this stuttering fool and use the one of his faithful servant...' he bowed with respect.   
  
Voldemort stared at him hostilely.  
  
'Do you really think I'm going to believe this fairy-tale...?' he drawled silently.  
  
'Master, I realise these all can seem impossible' said Snape hurriedly 'But let me explain... As I have already told you, I've been waiting for a moment when I would be able to tell you everything. EVERYTHING.' he repeated emphatically.  
  
Voldemort didn't say a word looking darkly at Snape.  
  
'You've been told I had been Dumbledore's spy' proceeded Severus 'That was truth... but not completely' he added with a cunning smile 'Yes, I visited him one night, a year before your downfall. I suggested I would pass him information from the Death Eaters. A told him that I couldn't bear killing and torturing anymore and I wanted to come back on the good side. And Dumbledore' he laughed sneeringly 'believed me. Since that time I really have informed him about all our activity. To confirm my loyalty, I even warned him of your plan to kill the Potters.'  
  
'So that was you who told him' muttered Voldemort 'That explains why they performed Fidelius Charm. I must admit it would have thwarted me if I hadn't had my own spies on the other side' he added, looking again at Snape with dislike.  
  
Severus, however, seems not to be confused.  
  
'I anticipated that' he said calmly 'I knew there was a Death Eater near the Potters. That's why I thought I could warn Dumbledore without detriment to your plans.'  
  
For the first time this night Voldemort was surprised.  
  
'You anticipated?' he asked in disbelief 'You knew about my spy?'  
  
'I suspected someone was passing information from Dumbledore' said Snape 'Unfortunately, I was wrong about the person. For all those years I believed, like all the others, that Sirius Black was your spy.'  
  
'Sirius Black' Dark Lord laughed sneeringly 'He was an idealist and he couldn't have been useful for me. I wish he had rot in Azkaban...but it can still happen. From the other hand,' he added with a strange smile 'if he hadn't escaped from the prison, we wouldn't talk to each other today and who knows how long would I have to wander as an immaterial ghost. 'Yes' he continued, watching of surprise in Snape's eyes 'If Black hadn't escaped, my servant wouldn't abandoned his haven in Hogwart and wouldn't have found me in the dark woods of Albania. Wormtail !' he called.  
  
Something moved in the back of the hall and from behind the throne a short bolding man peeped out.  
  
'Pettrigiew' whisper fascinated Snape 'So it was truth... And I didn't believe him, even today...'  
  
'Did you meet Black tonight ?' asked Voldemort sharply.  
  
Snape nodded.  
  
'Yes, he came to Hogwart after this whole confusion with Potter. Dumbledore had invited him, he believes Black is innocent.'  
  
Pettrigiew, who were approaching them tottering, heard the last words. He shivered but he didn't dare to speak without his master permission. Voldemort noticed that and laughed savagely.  
  
'Our Wormtail is still afraid of his old friends. He run away from them so fanatically that he finally met me.'  
  
Peter crouched humbly. Dark Lord looked at him with mixed contempt and disgust, and turned to Snape.  
  
'It was all very interesting, Severus, but still one thing is not clear to me. The most important one!' he said strictly 'Why have you never informed me about your plans? I would expect that a double agent will use his information somehow. But you...'  
  
Snape's eyes glittered and a triumphant smile twisted his thin mouth.  
  
'Master' he said with excitement 'We reach the point. Now I'm going to reveal you my real aim. I didn't collect information about Dumbledore. I wanted to KILL him !'  
  
Voldemort stood motionless with deep amazement on his face. Malfoy gasped. Pettrigiew looked at Snape as if he had just announced the end of the world and moved two steps backwards.  
  
Several seconds had passed before Voldemort spoke again.  
  
'You wanted to kill him?' he asked softly.  
  
Snape nodded.  
  
'But how? To kill Dumbledore...it's not a piece of cake.'  
  
Snape smiled with satisfaction.  
  
'Poison' he said briefly 'Morsanguis. Made up by means of powerful Dark Arts. It takes 11 months and 6 day to prepare it. It kills in a moment, there is no antidote. One drop in a wizard blood is enough to kill him. Potion was to be ready on a Christmas Eve in 1981. If not Potter...'  
  
He shook his head, his face twisted in rage. Voldemort cast him a searching glance.  
  
'Why did you want to kill Dumbledore?' he asked, his red eyes burning.  
  
Snape straightened up, his face assumed proud, severe expression. He slowly reached for a chain and got it out from under his robes. He took the spider-shaped locket in two fingers and raised it.  
  
'Here is the reason' he said solemnly 'My inheritance. And my revenge.'  
  
Voldemort fixed his eyes on the black locket, totally bewildered. Red eyes wandered from a metal spider to triumphant Snape. He slowly held out his hand and grabbed the chain. He turned the locket about as if to find some particular signs on it.  
  
'It's _Aranus_' he said at last and looked attentively at Snape 'How did you get it ?'  
  
Snape's black eyes glittered proudly.  
  
'I inherited it from my mother, who got it from her father a year before his death' his calm voice sounded almost solemnly 'This is a mark of my house. And of my grandfather, Grindelwald.'  
  



	2. Man of two faces

2. Man of two faces   
  
Malfoy gasped and looked at Snape as if he saw him for the first time in his life. Wormatil fixed his small eyes in the locket, both scared and full of superstitious esteem. Voldemort started to walk up and down the hall, giving Snape thoughtful glances.  
  
'_Aranus_...sign of Grindelwald' he was speaking softly as only for himself 'I didn't expect I would see it any more. The say it has been destroyed...someone wanted us to believe that. But _Aranus_ survived, hidden by heirs of Grindelwald' red eyes rested quickly on Snape 'Hidden by his grandson. So that is why? That is why you wanted to kill Dumbledore.'  
  
Snape smiled grimly and nodded.  
  
'Yes' he hissed 'I have been dreaming about the revenge since the day when my mother told me a story of her father glory and downfall. Downfall caused by nobody else but Albus Dumbledore' black eyes boiled with hatred 'I am a heir of Grindelwald and I have one aim in my live: destroy the one who dared stand in his path.'  
  
Voldemort stopped abruptly and cast him a very keen glance. Something horrible twinkled in his eyes.  
  
'So why Dumbledore is still alive' he asked sharply 'Why haven't you use that poison for all those years? You had more than good possibilities staying at Hogwart.'  
  
This time Snape was the one who get astounded.  
  
'Master, I believe I explained that before the potion was ready...' he hesitated 'Almost two months before, on Halloween...'  
  
'I guess you mean the night of my downfall' Voldemort interrupted sharply, his voice cold and sneering 'I could expect this. Heir of Grindelwald!' he spat 'How dare you use his sign?! You were brave as long as Lord Voldemort was the most powerful wizard in the world and you could have hidden behind his back. But Lord had disappeared and so Grindelwald's grandson forgot about his revenge. Now it would cost him too much...'  
  
Snape blushed, his thin lips twisted in a horrible grimace, baring clenched teeth. Black eyes were burning with rage.  
  
'I must have forgotten to mention' he drawled, his voice shaking madly 'about a component of the _Morsanguis_ Potion which lack makes it useless. A component that should be added to the decoction last night before it's completed. I'm talking about three blood drops of the most powerful enemy of a wizard one is going to kill' he looked at his Master 'And who could have been more powerful than Lord Voldemort...' he finished with a grim smile.  
  
Dark Lord looked surprised.  
  
'Are you going to say that you needed my blood to kill Dumbledore?' he asked with disbelief.  
  
Snape nodded. Voldemort stared at him thoughtfully.  
  
'So after that accident with Potter you didn't have the most important component of the poison...' he said slowly.  
  
Snape was silent and he looked offended. Voldemort smiled.  
  
'I confess, I have judged you wrong' he said 'Forgive me.'  
  
Red eyes glittered strangely. Snape, though still resentful, seemed to be slightly astonished. Voldemort has never asked anybody to forgive him.  
  
'When I was young' Dark Lord said 'Grindelwald was the most powerful Dark Wizard. His fame reached even the most remote places in the world. People trembled at the very sound of his name... as they do today when they hear mine.' he smiled savagely 'Alas, Grindelwald made one very grievous mistake. He underestimated Dumbledore. And he lost.'  
  
Severus nodded mournfully.  
  
'Yes' he said sinisterly 'That is why Albus Dumbledore will die!' Dead silence fell. Voldemort was watching Snape attentively. 'That means...' he said slowly.  
  
Snape understood immediately.  
  
'I'll start preparations tonight' he declared '_Morsangius_ will be ready in 340 days.'  
  
A devilish, triumphant smile appeared on the Voldemort pale face. Red eyes glittered with venomous satisfaction.  
  
'It's going to be a nasty surprise for old, dear Albus' he sneered 'Betrayed by the man he trusts. But I've always known' he said scornfully 'That he will be lost by his own foolish faith in people. And when he dies...'  
  
The wind howled fiercely, candle flames flickered.  
  
'No one will stop you, Master' whispered Pettriegiew with deep veneration. Voldemort gave him a quick glance and darkened unexpectedly.  
  
'No, Wormtail' he said severely, frowning 'There is somebody else, as powerful as Albus Dumbledore and much more dangerous. If he is not on my side he will be a very difficult enemy.'  
  
Snape and Malfoy exchanged astonished glances. But that was Petrrigiew who asked the question which bothered them all.  
  
'Who is he, Master?' he asked with curiosity 'Who, besides you, can equal Dumbledore?'  
  
Voldemort was staring at the candle flame.  
  
'Another heir of Salazar Slytherin' he said.  
  
Dead silence fell. Nobody spoke. Dark Lord words sounded very mysteriously. Suddenly the iron door creaked. Frightened Wormtail jumped, Snape took out his wand. On the doorstep a tall figure stood, wearing a long cloak with a hood covering all the face.  
  
Voldemort seemed to have been expecting new guest.  
  
'So, you've come' he said with satisfaction, smiling mysteriously 'I've been waiting for you.'  
  
Hooded man bowed. Lord turned to Snape.  
  
'I rely on you, Severus' he said significantly 'And I'm expecting your reports from Hogwart. I want to know what Dumbledore intends...and Potter' his red eyes glittered sinisterly.  
  
'I will not disappoint you, Master' answered Snape.  
  
Voldemort gave him a last glance and beckoned to the masked figure. He entered the hall and marched towards Dark Lord. When he was passing Snape, he turned his head to him and from beneath the hood eyes flashed, full of hatred.  
  


* * *

Severus Apparated at the outskirts of Hogsmead, he drew his broom out of the bushes and flew towards Hogwart. Huge walls of the castle loomed in the distance, dark against a background of the stars. There was dim light in one of the windows on a top of the highest tower. Headmaster was still on his guard.  
  
Snape was flying silently, lost in distressing thoughts. He has just begun a very risky game and he knew that from now he would be often in danger. He was also bothered by two questions and he felt that the answers can be of great importance. Who is an unknown heir of Slytherin? Even Malfoy didn't know anything about him. And that mysterious guest? Snape shuddered when he remembered an icy gaze of the hooded man.  
  
'Do I know him?' he thought.  
  
He reached the castle. He sharply turned his broom, dived and flew into his office though the open window. He waved his wand and the room has been lit by warm, yellow light of the candle. Severus turned to the fireplace and winced. Albus Dumbledore was sitting in Snape's favourite armchair, looking relieved.  
  
'Finally, Severus' he said standing up 'I've already started to suspect that the worst had happened. Fortunately, you came back. And that means...' he clenched his fingers on the armchair back 'Did you succeed? Did he believe you?'  
  
Snape nodded with a grim smile.  
  
'Yes. I was surprised myself it went so easy. Of course, I told him I was going to spy for you once more.'  
  
Dumbledore shook his head.  
  
'So everything goes according to the plan' he said 'But now I can confess that I was almost sure you would convince Voldemort about your loyalty.'  
  
He looked at Snape. For one brief moment Severus had the impression that irony glittered in the light-blue eyes of the old wizard. Dumbledore sighed and sat down again.  
  
'I guess you will inform Voldemort about all my actions' he stated rather than asked.  
  
Snape nodded. There was a silence. Headmaster was watching thoughtfully the trembling flame of the candle. Severus raised his hand to the hidden locket and clenched his palm over the metal spider. He looked gloomily at Dumbledore, hesitated.  
  
'Headmaster, you should know about one thing' he said.  
  
Dumbledore turned his eyes from the flame and looked at Snape inquiringly.  
  
'I heard something interesting tonight' Snape started walking slowly across the room 'Did you know that, beside Voldemort, there is one more heir of Salazar Slytherin?'  
  
Dumbledore looked astounded. He stood up impetuously.  
  
'Another?' he asked with disbelief 'Who...?'  
  
'This is a puzzle' said Snape 'But one thing is clear: whoever he is, he hasn't joined Dark Lord yet.'  
  
Now, for a change, Dumbledore was walking nervously along the office, pulling his long beard.  
  
'I studied thoroughly genealogy of this house and I was sure Slytherin's line ended with Tom Marvolo Riddle. But if he claims there is somebody else...Voldemort knows everything about this stuff' he sighed 'I must have missed something... a collateral line. And what if...' he stopped abruptly and Snape could swear that old wizard turned pale.  
  
Dumbledore was standing for a moment without saying a word, lost in thoughts. Finally, he turned to Potion Master.  
  
'Severus, it was extremely useful information' he said gravely 'And we have to do everything to find out, who Voldemort was talking about. It's VERY IMPORTANT' he added emphatically.  
  


* * * 

_(September 1st, 1995)_  
  
The Hogwart Express stopped at the final station. Harry, Ron and Hermione pushed themselves towards the exit in the crowd of students, which evidently had decided to leave the train in the same moment. He breathed freely when he finally reached the door. But he had hardly put his feet on the platform when a giant hand seized him by his arm and turned him around.  
  
'Hagrid !' exclaimed Harry joyfully and next second he nearly screamed when the Keeper of Keys almost batter his bones in an iron hug.  
  
"Harry !' Hagrid snuffled 'It's good yer here. Now I can be easy abou' yeh. At Hogwart even You-Know-Who not touch yeh...'  
  
He ceased talking suddenly and looked carefully at Harry. After the events of last June and Lord Voldemort return everybody tried not to mention about him when Harry was by. Though, it was quite difficult in the situation, when the old terror began slowly creeping into the magic world.  
  
'It's O.K.' said Harry trying to sound lightly.  
  
Memory of the last encounter with Voldemort was still just as dreadful as two months ago. However, during the summer holidays nothing happened that could indicate that the Dark Lord is going to attack right now. Contrary, there were no news of him and Harry finally stopped to falling asleep with a terrible thought that he would wake up hearing a cruel, cold laugher, blinded by the greenish flash of Avada Kedavra.  
  
Moreover, he was aware that he was guarded very well. Even during holidays at the Dursleys he had stayed under a watchful care of Arabella Figg. It turned out that the old neighbour of his aunt and uncle is a witch, and no mean one. To Harry great surprised Dumbledore had informed him that Arabella Figg was a retired Auror.  
  
He also received a letter from Sirius every several days. At the moment Black has been hiding himself at his friend, Remus Lupin. However, he was keeping in touch with Harry and the boy slowly began to forget about the nightmare of the past June.  
  
It didn't mean, however, that everything was O.K. Voldemort had hidden himself and no one heard about him anymore. Many wizards started to believe that the news about his returns was simply invented. But some people, including the Weasleys, thought that it was only calm before the storm and they've been worrying more and more.  
  
'Harry !' he was brought back to reality by Ron 'Let's go, carriages are waiting.'  
  
They left the station accompanied by Hagrid and Harry even didn't have to ask why. The Keeper of Keys seemed to have decided to keep a sharp eye on him and Harry was sure that it was Dumbledore's order. Something, however, interested him and only they got into the carriage he asked:  
  
'Hagrid, who is going to transport the first-years across the lake?'  
  
Hagrid's black eyes glittered and he chortled gruffly.  
  
'Professor McGonagall herself' he answered trying to keep a straight face.  
  
He didn't succeed, however, and soon all four were laughing, trying to imagine themselves a grave and strict witch, sailing through the lake on a shaky boat.  
  
'Hagrid, who will be teaching Defence Against the Dark Arts this year ?' asked Ron suddenly.  
  
It became almost a strange tradition at Hogwart that every year this subject was thought by a different teacher. And, as usual, students didn't know who will he be this time. Hagrid smiled mysteriously.  
  
'Yer lucky. This yea' it's really somebody. A famous...Ups!' he quickly put a hand on his mouth 'Almost blur' out. It's surprise.'  
  
And though they begged him to tell the name of a new teacher, he didn't want to say anymore. They reached the castle. They went up the stone stairs, passed the door and stopped in the Entrance Hall. Harry felt as if he had come back home. He breathed deeply and smiled. Students entered the illuminated Great Hall. Harry, Ron and Hermione took their usual seats at the Gryffindor table and soon also Fred and George Weasley joined them.  
  
In the main seat at the stuff table Albus Dumbledore was sitting, smiling heartily to the students. When he sow Harry he nodded and gave him a warm glance. Other teachers were also present and only one seat, on Headmaster's left-hand side, remained empty.  
  
'It seems that the Dark Arts bloke will be late again' said Ron, a bit disappointed.  
  
As most of the people in the Hall, he was dying to know who the new teacher was. Meanwhile, professor McGonagall led the frightened first-years into the room. It was quite clear that the night sailing wasn't her liking. She looked frozen and very irritated. She put an old, shabby Sorting Hat on a four-legged stool and the Sorting Ceremony started.  
  
When the last one from the pupils had been sorted to the new house, Dumbledore got up and made a customary speech. Harry expected to hear something in connection with Voldemort's return. He was sure that additional rules about moving around the school grounds would be initiated. However, it didn't happened. Dumbledore wished them good appetite and on the tables plates appeared, full of the heavenly smelling dishes.  
  
Ten minutes had passed when Dumbledore interrupted his conversation with Minerwa McGonagall and he looked attentively at the window.  
  
'Well, I see that our new teacher has just arrived !' he exclaimed joyfully, rising and pointing his wand at the window.  
  



	3. A new teacher

3. A new teacher   
  
All heads turned in the same direction. A great, black goshawk flew into the Hall. It described a circle over the students' heads and, waving lazily its enormous wings, it flew towards the stuff table. Dumbledore was watching it with a smile. The goshawk hung in the air right over the wizard, candle light was shining on its sharp beak and claws. And suddenly one long, surprised 'Ooooh!' was heard. Next to Dumbledore a slim woman appeared, wearing a black travel-cloak.  
  
'Animagus...' whispered Hermione.  
  
'Vega, I'm glad to see you' exclaimed Dumbledore, clasping woman hands 'Dear students!' he turned to the Hall ' I'd like to introduce to you a new teacher of the Defence Against the Dark Arts, professor Vega Starlight.'  
  
Woman turned to the students. For a second a silent fell and then everybody started to clap enthusiastically. The loudest applause was coming from the boys of the seventh year which were really very impressed by the new teacher. Not only she was much younger than other witches but also very pretty. She had long, black hair and dark-grey eyes, gleaming mysteriously. Her glance, however, was rigid and the pale face severe and grave. A lower part of woman cheek was cut with a deep scar.  
  
Harry, as all the others, couldn't take his eyes off professor Starlight. Now he understood what Hagrid meant talking about a surprise. The Weasleys were often mentioning the Aurors and Vega Starlight was one of the best. After completing Hogwart she had been training at Alastor Moody and, as it often happens, an apprentice had surpassed her master. Many people believed that Vega was the most powerful of the living Aurors.  
  
Harry fell to thinking. If he met her in the street, he would never suspect that she had killed or send to Azkaban more Death Eaters during two years than many Aurors through the whole live.  
  
'Harry!' Ron whispered intently 'Look at Snape !'  
  
Harry looked at the man, sitting on the right-hand side of Dumbledore. Everybody knew that for four years Severus Snape had been trying to get Defence Against the Dark Art lecture. That was why he hated all the previous Dark Arts teachers. No wonder, that Harry was really astounded when he realised that there is no antipathy in Snape's cold, black eyes, but something else, a strange, greedy curiosity.  
  
'Let's sit down, you must be hungry' said Dumbledore.  
  
'I'm starving' said Vega, taking off her cloak.  
  
She was wearing a dark, leather waistcoat, a white silk blouse and a long, black skirt. She had also a black mitt on the left palm.  
  
People started to talk. Harry has just returned to his supper when somebody at the stuff table removed a chair impetuously. Harry looked at the man and got choked. Snape stood up and approached the witch.  
  
'Hello, Vega' he said.  
  
Professor Starlight looked at him and for a split second her face twisted in a nasty expression. She cooled down, however.  
  
'Hello, Severus' she said icily, shaking his hand.  
  
Snape hesitated, as if he wanted to add something, but he gave up, bowed and returned to his seat. Vega followed him with cold eyes, sat down, reached for a chicken chop and vigorously cut it into small pieces.  
  
Ron and Harry exchanged amazed glances.  
  
'It seems they know each other' said Ron.  
  
'Yes' nodded Harry 'And if it comes to professor Starlight she is not fond of Snape. Don't you thing she would like him to be this chop ?'  
  
'So do I.' Ron giggled viciously 'But on the other hand it's an interesting change. Usually Snape was the one who behaved as if he wanted to kill the DADA teacher.'  
  
'I wonder where did they meet' Harry was meditating.  
  
'Maybe in Hogwart' suggested Hermione 'Professor Starlight looks very young but she cannot be much younger than Snape if she had been an Auror after You-Know-Who downfall.'  
  
'Did Sirius mention anything about her?' Ron looked at Harry inquiringly 'If Hermione is right he must know her, too.'  
  
Harry shook his hand.  
  
'No' he said 'He has never told me about her. But it doesn't mean anything. He could simply not know that she was going to teach us. Anyway, I'll ask him in the next letter.'  
  
'And what if...' whispered Hermione 'Harry, do you remember what you sow in the Pensieve? During his trial, Karkaroff accused Snape of being a Death Eater. Dumbledore himself vouched for him, but Moody has never believed in Snape's good intentions. So, if professor Starlight has been working with Mad-Eye, it's quite possible that she knows something about Snape's former sins.'  
  
'And she thinks he is a traitor.' concluded Ron, looking malevolently at the Potion Master 'I will never understand why Dumbledore still trusts him.'  
  
'Apparently he has his reasons.' said Hermione giving Ron to understand that she doesn't find it proper to question the Headmaster opinions.  
  
Ron didn't seem convinced. Harry was observing the stuff table. And suddenly he got an idea. 'Listen!' he exclaimed 'Let's ask Hagird. He had already been working in Hogwart when my father and Sirius were students.'  
  
'Good idea !' rejoiced Ron 'We will go to him tomorrow.'  
  
The welcome feast was drawing to an end. When most of the plates had emptied and even the most starved students couldn't have eaten anymore, Dumbledore stood up and immediately a silence fell. Headmaster smiled and stroked his long beard.  
  
'So, we start another year at Hogwart' he began 'As usual, I have some announcements for you. In consequence of the horrifying events of the last June' suddenly his voice became very grave 'I was obliged to undertake some steps in order to ensure you maximum protection.'  
  
Harry moved nervously on his chair.  
  
'All school grounds' continued Dumbledore 'have been surrounded with an excellent Dark Arts Detection System, worked out by professor Starlight' he bowed to Vega who smiled slightly 'I'm not going to bore you with technical details. What you have to know is that thanks to the system no dark curse can be performed at Hogwart. Moreover, no one get in here without my permission, all sorts of disguising charms will be discovered immediately. So,' he added more cheerfully 'I can assure you that in the school grounds you are safe. Unfortunately,' he raised his hand, hushing a growing buzz 'since the system works only around Hogwart, this year I must cancel all visits to Hogsmead.'  
  
Students moaned. Dumbledore smiled with sympathy.  
  
'I've been expecting such a reaction' he said 'and I arranged with the owner of the Honeydukes that every month he would supply our school with all kinds of the sweets. Also Madam Rosmerta offered to provide some...drinks' he smiled roguishly.  
  
Students started to cheer loudly. Dumbledore raised a hand.  
  
'And, last of all, I'd like to inform' his keen glance rested on Harry 'that the old maps of Hogwart are no longer useful. Good night !'  
  
Most of the students hadn't the faintest idea what Dumbledore meant, talking about the maps. Harry, however, understood it too well. He scowled at Ron and his sour face told him that his friend also got the idea. Only Hermione looked satisfied. She has never approved Harry's illegal escapades.  
  
'I wonder what they did with the secret passages.' muttered Ron 'Blocked up?'  
  
'I'm sure professor Starlight made sure we would not be able to use them.'  
  
'Maybe she missed one...'  
  
'I don't think so' Harry shook his head 'Just before holidays Dumbledore studied the Marauders Map thoroughly.'  
  
'Potter! Weasley!' a strict voice spoke right next to them 'Are you going to sleep in the Great Hall ?!'  
  
Professor McGonagall was standing near by, impatiently tapping her fingers at the wooden table. Harry and Ron realised that when they had been talking about the Map, everybody left and the Hall was completely empty.  
  
'We are going, professor!' exclaimed Harry, getting up.  
  
Ron looked around.  
  
'Professor, did you see Hermione ?' he asked.  
  
Minerva McGonagall looked at him with a growing irritation.  
  
'Weasley,' she said ironically 'Did you forget that Miss Granger was a Prefect and she had to take the first-years to the Gryffindor Tower ? And now, go away, both of you!'  
  
Harry and Ron bowed and quickly run out the room. They didn't want to tax professor McGonagall patience any longer.  
  


. . .

Snape came back to his office in a gloomy mood. He sat at the table, opened a large, leather-bound volume and started to read. After a moment, however, he closed it angrily, got up and began walking along the room. Flames reflected in his cold, black eyes. Severus thought about the events of the evening and smiled bitterly.  
  
After the feast Dumbledore called all the teachers to the Transfiguration classroom and Vega Starlight described them precisely how does her Dark Arts Detection System work. Severus was really impressed by her ideas, but he doubted if, beside himself, Dumbledore and McGonagall, anyone else fully understood the essence of the DASD. Especially professor Trelawney looked totally confused when Vega started to draw on the blackboard the complicated schemes of charms and curses.  
  
Vega has been talking for an hour and for the next one she has been trying to answer all questions about the technical details of the system. But anytime her grey eyes rested at Snape, they glittered with dislike and contempt.  
  
Severus sighed sadly. He approached a large chest, opened the lid and from under the heap of the lumbers he pulled out a small box. He placed it on the desk and pressed a lock. The lid sprang back. Inside there was a pile of yellowed parchments. Snape took it out carefully and put on the table. He sat down and stared to look through the papers. Finally he found what he was looking for. It was an old number of the 'Daily Prophet' with a date: 13.07.1983. On the first page there was a picture of a young girl with short, black hair and a caption below said: 'Another triumph of Vega Starlight. David Lestrange in Azkaban.'  
  
Severus was staring at the photograph with a gloomy melancholy. At last he sighed and he was just about to put the paper into the box, when a small package slipped from it. There were several letters, tied with a thin strap. Snape looked at them slightly surprised, as if he had forgotten about their existence. Slowly, he reached for the package and took out the first letter. He moved the candle nearer and began to read.  
  
_'15/01/67  
Dear sonny,  
Happy birthday! I hope you will enjoy a present. You are seven now so it's time you started to learn. But remember, don't show it to your grandmother. She hates everything what is connected with Magic.'_  
  
Severus smiled. How could he forget the book he was given by his mother. 'The Dark Arts in Outline.' He reached for the next envelope.  
  
_'29/05/68  
Son,  
I have wonderful news for you. In a month I take you to our new house. Everything is almost ready, I only have to get rid of a few stubborn lamias. '_  
  
A new house turned to be an old castle, built on the inaccessible slope of mount Schwarzberg in the Bavarian Alps. Nobody knew when and how it was constructed. From the one side sheltered by the vertical stone wall, from the other reaching a deep abyss, it seemed completely cut off from the rest of the world. However, the inhabitants of the valley claimed that they used to see light on the highest tower of the castle. They called it Devils Nest.  
  
Severus still remembered the night when he arrived to the old castle. He found it dark and gloom. As a matter of fact fact, he has never managed to like it. But he could feel a powerful magic everywhere inside. Several years later mother told him that the castle had belonged to her father, Grindelwald.  
  
But that first night, during the supper, she told him another story. He could still remember every word. That was the night when a new life started for him and when he came to hate a man who was his father.  
  
_'Son'_ she said gravely _'The time has came for you to know, why for all those years you were brought up by your grandmother. Why did you now me, your mother, only from the letters.'_ She sighed _'You see, somebody hurt me very much. I had to rearrange my life, to think over many things... I wanted to be alone. But now it will change ! We will start everything again. Everything !'_ she said emphatically _'Till today your name was Perseus Evans. Evans is your grandmother maiden name and Perseus...'_ she clenched her teeth and her eyes flashed with hatred _'That was the name of your damned father ! But now it's over !'_  
  
She waved her wand. A flickering inscription appeared in mid air. Name of her son. Witch smiled and moved her hand. The twinkling letters whirled madly and they shaped new words. Mother read them with a real pleasure.  
  
_'From now your name is Severus Snape.'_ she said solemnly.  
  
Snape shuddered. He put the letters back in the box. He approached the door, opened it silently and carefully peeped out at the corridor. After making sure it was empty he came back to the office and put two closing spells on the door. He walked up to the glass-case and opened a secret niche. He took out a small, black cauldron and carefully examined its content. A decoction, made a month ago from scorpion venom and dragon bile, started to crystallize.  
  
'In a few days I'll add an essence of beladonna.' thought Snape with satisfaction.  
  


* * *

_(September 4th, 1995)_  
  
Everybody was waiting impatiently for the first Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson. Last year, with Mad-Eye Moody as a teacher, it was the most fascinating subject in the school. And though it turned out that an old Auror was in fact a disguised Death Eater, Barty Crouch Junior, the students still couldn't forget his lessons. Now the next famous Auror was going to teach them so they expected a lot.  
  
'I wonder if she is going to teach us the Striking Spells' Ron was pondering, staring at the classroom door with his eyes gleaming with excitement.  
  
'What an idea !' Hermione bridled up 'She will not teach us Dark Arts but the defence against them.'  
  
'But attack is the best defence' said Ron impetuously 'That is Aurors device.'  
  
'I think' started Hermione self-confidently 'that professor Starlight will focus on the Defensive Spells.'  
  
'And in my opinion' a drawling voice of Draco Malfoy spoke behind them 'That she should teach us such curses as _Cruciatus_ and _Imperius_. My father says that in these dangerous times...'  
  
'Your father...' snarled Harry, turning around but in the same moment the door opened and Vega Starlight entered the classroom.  
  
She was wearing a black, tight-fitting jacket reaching down to the knees, trousers and knee-boots. The class fell silent.  
  
'Welcome on the first Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson' she said 'Leave your things here, take your wands and follow me.'  
  
Exchanging exited looks they stated up and gathered at the corridor. Professor Starlight led them down, to the Great Hall. She looked around, muttered 'Should be enough' and turned to the students.  
  
'Professor Dumbledore informed me that three years ago you had been studying dueling.'  
  
The murmur of voices rose, Harry and Ron exchanged amused glances. It was difficult to forget the Dueling Club, patronised by Gilderoy Lockhart.  
  
'This year' said Vega and the silence fell immediately 'we will focus on a difficult art of dodges and blocks.'  
  
Hermione looked superiorly at Ron.  
  
'Most of the spells and charms,' proceeded Vega 'even those of the advanced Dark Arts, can be neutralised by means of the appropriate counter spells. We call them Shields and Covers. Of course, it's not easy to learn them' she said emphatically ' and it needs years of studies and training.'  
  
Hermione raised her hand.  
  
'Miss Granger?' asked Vega.  
  
'Professor, how can one defend oneself against the Unforgivable Curses?' asked Hermione 'I mean _Cruciatus_ and _Imperius_' she added quickly not to allow anybody to think, that she didn't know that there is no counter curse against the most dangerous _Avada Kedavra_.  
  
Vega Starlight smiled slightly.  
  
'Good question' she said 'Is it possible to defend against the curses the use of which means the life-sentence in Azkaban?' she looked at the students with a rigid, steely flash in her eyes 'The answer is: yes. There are counter curses, but it's a piece of extremely complicated Dark Arts. Only a specially trained Auror or a Dark Wizard could try to master them but often even they fail.'  
  
'I bet she can do that' whispered Ron looking at Vega with admiration.  
  
'Fortunately,' added Vega, noticing a saddened face of Hermione 'You can always defend yourself against the enemy spell without using the counter course' though it seemed impossible, concentration on students faces doubled 'You only need to dodge. And so we reach the most important point in the Defence Against the Dark Arts' she said markedly 'The most important in the duel are concentration, reflex, quickness and self-control. Any questions?'  
  
Draco Malfoy raised his hand.  
  
'How can we defend against the Killing Curse ?' he asked innocently.  
  
Professor Starlight smiled gloomily.  
  
'There is no counter curse against _Avada Kedavra_. The only thing you can do is to dodge...if you are fast enough' she said coldly.  
  
'My father told me' Malfoy didn't want to give up 'that many wizards and witches tried to elaborate a counter curse.'  
  
Harry wasn't sure if Vega's eyes glittered sinisterly because of the name of Malfoy's father or because of the counter curse.  
  
'Unfortunately, after they had tried they didn't live long enough to tell us about it' she said icily in a tone of a gloomy sneer.  
  
In the silence that fell after those words the approaching steps sounded very clearly. Harry watched up and felt an unpleasant cramp in his stomach. Snape was coming down the stairs. He stooped at the lowest step and bowed to Vega.  
  
'Ah, professor Snape. Excellent !' said the witch with a cold smile. She seemed to have been expecting Potion Master 'Enough of theory' she turned to the students 'It's time to put the Defensive Spells into practice. Professor Snape and I will demonstrate you now an exemplary duel. One of us is going to attack and the other to defend oneself and to counter-attack. Pay attention to quickness and synchronization of the wand movements and incantations. Stand near the walls.'  
  
The students scattered quickly in two directions. A wide, empty space has been left in the middle of the Hall. Vega and Severus stood face to face, ten meters away. They bowed, rolled up the sleeves and took out their wands. For a moment they looked at each other piercingly and suddenly Snape attacked.  
  
'_Immobilarius _!' he cried, aiming his wand at Vega.  
  
'_Cancellio _!' called out the woman, describing a small circle with her wand.  
  
A wand tip flashed yellow and a silent smack could be hared, but before anybody could ask what was it, Vega cried: _Stupefy_ !.  
  
'_Protectio_ !' called Snape and immediately a subtle, bright glimmer shined in front of him.  
  
The curse was reflected and scattered with a loud: 'Puuf!'  
  
The opponents lowered their wands but still kept eyes on each other.   
  
'Perfect !' said Vega soberly 'It was an example of two simple attacks and of two defensive techniques. Now we are going to use some more complicated spells so the defence will be much more difficult. Notice that although the incantation is often the same, there is a difference in the hand motion.'  
  
Once more Snape attacked first. He called '_Telumigneus _!' and a fire ball shot towards Vega. Auror took several steps backwards, she waved her wand fiercely crying: '_Repelio_ !' and deflected the ball which hit the ceiling with an explosion. She counter-attacked at once, shouting: '_Presio_ !'. The air whirled and a pressure wave swooped on Snape, who roared: '_Protectio_ !'. A bright shield protected him again but the spell was so powerful that it pushed him three steps away. But in the same time he raised his wand and called: '_Radius glacialis_ !'. A white, sparkling ray shot from the wand tip and swished towards Vega as an arrow. The witch cried: '_Defensio_ !' and her hand made a very complicated move. The white ray stopped suddenly as if it hit an invisible obstacle, but didn't disappear. '_Radius glacialis _!' roared Snape again, increasing the power of the spell. The white ray shone with a blazing light. Vega's hand started to shake. Suddenly she lowered her wand and jumped up. The ray flashed the air below her and scattered on the stairs.  
  
'_Expelliarmus _!' screamed Vega, landing firmly on the floor.  
  
The wand escaped from the hands of amazed Snape.  
  
For a moment there was very silent and then a real storm of applause burst in the Great Hall. Everybody was impressed by the duel. Gryffindors were applauding first of all professor Starlight, but they had to admit that Snape was also fighting superbly. Even Slytherins couldn't hide their admiration for an Auror.  
  
Harry expected that Snape would be furious but to his great surprised it wasn't the case. Contrary, the Potion Master was looking at Vega with appreciation and a strange smile was playing on his thin lips.  
  
'Nice trick' he said 'I was completely taken aback.'  
  
Vega's grey eyes remained cold but she smiled slightly and said lightly:  
  
'An old Aurors dodge. Usually the opponent does not expect you to use a non-magical way of fighting. Several times it saved my life. O.K., the show is over' she turned to the class ' It's time to began learning.'  
  
Till the end of the lesson, divided in pairs, they have been trying to put into practice the easiest protecting spell. But though they were really enthusiastic about that, no one, even Hermione, succeeded.  
  
'I just couldn't do that' murmured Hermione when they left the Great Hall after the lesson 'I'll have to start working very hard. I thing I'll go to the Library...'  
  
'Drop it!' interrupted Ron impatiently 'Professor Starlight said that she would be surprised if any of us would master this spell in less than a month. You have plenty of time !'  
  
'One month it's not so much' snorted Hermione 'I'm starting learning today and if I were you I would do the same.'  
  
'We have some other plans for tonight, haven't we, Harry ?' asked Ron, smiling meaningly.  
  
'Oh...yeah' assented Harry though, like Ron, he hasn't know anything about those plans yet.  
  
Hermione looked at them as if she had seen through them perfectly.  
  
'Your choice' she said superiorly 'but I don't want to hear you complaining before the exams.'  
  
She turned away and went to the library. Ron followed her with an amazed glance.  
  
'Is she talking about the exams ?' he asked with disbelief 'The school-year started four days ago ! Since she was chosen Prefect, she became still more unbearable than she had been before.' They took their things from the Defence classroom and marched towards the Gryffindor tower.  
  
They have just passed by the main stairs and turned to the corridor when somewhere behind they heard angry voices. They stopped intrigued and looked carefully from behind the corner.  
  
Vega and Severus were standing at the lowest step. The Auror looked livid.  
  
'And maybe you just don't like werewolves?' she asked venomously with a nasty grimace.  
  
'Lupin was dangerous' replied Snape trying to stay calm 'From the beginning I was warning Dumbledore that he cannot be trusted...'  
  
'How dare YOU say that !' yelled Vega, loosing her nerve 'After what you did to him !'  
  
Severus turned pale and clenched his teeth.  
  
'Stop it !' he growled with anger 'Stop it ! You know, how...' he broke off and pinched his hands on a marble balustrade 'It was so long ago...' he whispered.  
  
Vega looked at him with hatred.  
  
'I'll never forget it !' she said icily and quickly climbed the stairs.  
  
Harry and Ron moved back into the corridor, exchanging surprised glances.  
  
'Wow, she does loathe Snape !' said Ron 'I thought she would hit him with a curse.'  
  
'They were talking about professor Lupin' noticed Harry 'And it seems that Starlight knows him.'  
  
'Was she furious with Snape because he made Lupin sacked ?'  
  
'I don't think so...' Harry frowned 'That's something else. Snape told it had happened long ago.'  
  
'What is it all about ?' Ron was irritated 'You think we can ask Sirius ?'  
  
'We can but I'm sure he will not answer' Harry sighed 'He became very mysterious.'  
  
In his last letter Sirius mentioned only that he knew professor Starlight from Hogwart. And he asked Harry not to question about her any more. He claimed that one day he would know everything.  
  
So the only thing they could do was to conjecture. Even Hagrid couldn't help. When they visited him the day after the welcome feast, he was just getting ready to the journey.  
  
'Be back in month, then we talk.' he promised, pushing a pair of huge boots to the enormous suitcase.  
  
When they asked where he was going he smiled mysteriously.  
  
'Secret business. For Dumbledore' he said briefly.  
  
And they couldn't make him say anything more.  
  



	4. Goshawk and dog

4. Goshawk and dog   
  
_(October 11th, 1995)_  
  
The day was sunny and warm. Harry woke up in high spirits. He couldn't dream of the better weather for an inaugural Quidditch match. The match that promised to be a hit of the year: Gryffindor versus Slytherin. Draco Malfoy, a new captain of the Slytherin team, has been threatening for weeks that October the 11th would be a day of shame for the Gryffindor. And soon it turned out what made him so self-confident. As in the previous years, his father supplied all the team with the latest models of Nimbus brooms. Harry, however, took it easy. He knew that the equipment itself would not win the match. In Quidditch a good team was more important and Slytherin didn't have it.  
  
If something worried Harry an hour before the match it was how a new Gryffindor Keeper, Scott Brick, cope with his task. During the training he had been playing pretty well and the captain, Angelina Johnson, was quite pleased with him. But now she looked uneasy and kept giving to Scott last instructions and advice.  
  
As usually before the match, Harry ate only a thin slice of bread and was about to leave when Hedwig flew into the Hall through the opened window. It espied him in the crowd of the students and dropped a small roll of paper on his knees. Harry unrolled it with curiosity.  
  
'It's from Sirius' he whispered.  
  
Ron and Hermione moved closer.  
  
'He says he will come to see the match !' read Harry.  
  
He sounds both glad and surprised.  
  
'What ? He will come to Hogwart ?!' cried Hermione.  
  
Ron gave her a warning nudge.  
  
'But it's dangerous' she proceeded in a low voice 'Now, when the defence system works...'  
  
'He says not to worry about that' read Harry 'so he had to get a permission from Dumbledore.'  
  
He lifted his eyes up to the stuff table. The Headmaster was deep in conversation with professor Flitwick but Vega Starlight smiled to him slightly.  
  
'I'm glad to see Sirius' said Harry, putting the letter into his pocket.  
  
'Harry, what are you still doing there ?!'  
  
Angelina stood in the door of the Great Hall, waving at him urgently. She looked very nervous, kept looking at her watch and casting an anxious glance at the team gathered around.  
  
'I'm coming !' called Harry, seizing his Firebolt.  
  
They left the castle and went towards the great Qudditch pitch. Six high goalposts rose proudly into the sky, the stands showed the colours of two competing houses. Students have already started to gather, expecting an exciting match.  
  
Near the entrance to the changing room seven Slyherins stood, smiling broadly, with new Nimbus 2003 in their hands. But that was not because of them that Harry felt an icy shiver and impulsively raised his hand to the scar on the forehead.  
  
Near Slytherins, with a hand on his son's arm, Lucius Malfoy stood. The memory of last June immediately revived in Harry's mind. Once more he heard a cruel, ruthless voice of Lord Voldemort and the name he called one of his Death Eaters: Lucius.  
  
Malfoy noticed Harry, too. His cold, bright eyes flared up. For a moment he was staring at the boy with a gaze full of hatred and contempt, then he whispered something to a man standing by. The man looked at Harry with a keen interest.  
  
Harry had no idea who the strange wizard was. He has never met him before. Tall, with fair, slightly wavy hair and grey-blue, dreamy eyes, he was full of a gentle charm and if Harry wouldn't be so suspicious about any person he saw accompanied by Lucius Malfoy, he would found the wizard quite nice.  
  
'So that is Harry Potter...' said the wizard in a soft, mellow voice, smiling slightly.  
  
'Yes, our celebrity himself' somebody assented ironically.  
  
Slytherins chuckled and in a moment Harry felt even more uncomfortable than before. Severus Snape stopped near Malfoy and looked at Harry with antipathy. The fair-haired wizard glanced at the Potion Master and the smile vanished from his face.  
  
'Ah, Severus !' Malfoy stretch his hand 'A splendid day for a splendid victory, isn't it ?'  
  
Snape smiled slightly, fixing his eyes on the tall wizard.  
  
'Magnus Devilson' he drawled out, with a nasty expression on his face 'At Hogwart again...?'  
  
Devilson looked more and more livid.  
  
'Yes' he said dryly, staring at Snape with rage 'I've been invited by Dumbledore.'  
  
'No doubt...' an ironical smile was playing on Snape's lips.  
  
'Harry !' George Weasley put his head out through the window 'If you don't come at once, Angelina is going to have a heart attack.'  
  
Harry went hurriedly to the changing room, relieved that George saved him from an unpleasant situation. But on the other hand he was dying to know who Magnus Devilson was and why Snape was looking at him with such antipathy.  
  
For the present, however, the match was the most important task. When all the players were dressed in their traditional robes of red and gold, Angelina made a brief speech.  
  
'We have to win' she said in an unnaturally hoarse voice 'Slytherins have better brooms, but we have better team...'  
  
Further words stuck in her throat. She clasped her hands nervously.  
  
'Calm down, Angelina' Fred gave her a friendly pat on the shoulder 'We'll show them, what does it mean to play Quidditch. Harry will catch the Snitch in five minutes.'  
  
Angelina nodded but she still looked nervous.  
  
'It's time!' said Katie, looking out through the half-open door 'Madam Hooch is calling.'  
  
And one by one, with Angelina at the head, they went out at the pitch basking in the sun.  
  


. . .

  
Nobody has expected something like this. Harry Potter caught the golden Snitch in the third minute of the match, right from under the nose of completely astonished Malfoy. For several seconds there was a silence and then the stands exploded with a yell. Gryffindors were frantic with joy. From their part of the stands the red-golden sparks shot into the sky and the rain of purple rosettes fell on the grass. Enthusiastic crowd was pressing to the exit and swarming over the pitch, looking for the heroes of the day.  
  
Vega congratulated beaming Minerva McGonagall and left the teacher stand. She went down and, passing a group of silent and gloomy Slytherins, she moved towards three men who have just appeared at the foot of the white-green stand.  
  
They saw her and stopped. Snape and Devilson bowed. In Malfoy's eyes flashed the purest hatred.  
  
'So, what do you think, Lucius ?' Vega smiled with a vindictive satisfaction, looking icily at Malfoy 'Spectacular match, isn't it ?'  
  
Malfoy's pale face twisted in fury, he impulsively reached for his wand, but cooled down immediately. Vega, however, noticed his movement and murderous sparkles gleamed in her grey eyes.  
  
'Try it...' she hissed sinisterly.  
  
'Ah, there you are !'  
  
Dumbledore appeared from behind a stone pier, looking at the small meeting from over his glasses.  
  
'We were discussing about the match' said Vega, keeping her eyes at Malfoy.  
  
Dumbledore beamed.  
  
'What a splendid game !' he exclaimed enthusiastically 'Though a short one, I must say. That Potter...an incredible boy !' he said, pretending not to see deep disgust on the Snape and Malfoy faces.  
  
'You're absolutely right, Headmaster' added Devilson in a mellow voice 'Of course, even in the far north everybody heard about famous Harry Potter, but today I could see with my own eyes that there was really something in that boy.'  
  
Dumbledore smiled at him kindly.  
  
'I see you found the time to visit Hogwart, Magnus ?' he said.  
  
'I couldn't deny myself this pleasure' assured Devilson 'You know how much I love that old castle. I wish my parents had sent me here instead of Durmstrang.'  
  
Snape was looking at Devilson with both antipathy and disgust.  
  
'What brought you to England, Magnus?' asked Vega with an innocent curiosity.  
  
'Work' sighed Devilson 'In the Norwegian Ministry of Magic I'm the head of the Department of Teleportation. Recently we entered into co-operation with your ministry in order to reduce the number of illegal Apparitions in the Scandinavian Dragons Reserve. Poachers...' he sadly shook his head 'During last five years we lost more than a half of the Ridgebacks population and the species is in danger. We had to take prompt action against the poachers. That's why we decided to meet every several weeks in the English ministry to co-ordinate our work.'  
  
'A noble activity...' sneered Snape.  
  
Devilson gave him an ominous look but didn't comment. Dumbledore clapped his hands.  
  
'We are chatting and chatting but you wanted to talk with me, Lucius. Let's go to my office. Magnus, will you keep us company?'  
  
'If you don't mind, Headmaster, I will take a walk around old Hogwart' said Devilson.  
  
'Of course I don't mind' smiled Dumbledore, he looked fleetingly at Vega and went with Malfoy towards the castle.  
  
Snape was watching withdrawing Magnus suspiciously.  
  
'I wouldn't trust him' he said silently.  
  
Vega gave him a searching look.  
  
'Why do you dislike him so much?' she asked.  
  
'I have my reasons' Snape dodged a question.  
  
Vega shrugged her shoulders, looked around, transformed into the black goshawk and followed Devilson.  
  


. . .

  
Harry jumped down from his broom and next second he almost fell to the ground when the whole Gruffindor team sprang at him with a joyful scream. Fred and George seized his hands and legs and started to throw him up while the girls performed an off-hand victory dance. Harry had hardly stood on his feet when they were surrounded by the cheering Gryffindors.  
  
'Harry, you were great!' called Ron, elbowing his way towards the friend.  
  
'Really, Harry ! You set up a new school record.' gasped out Hermione 'No match has ever ended so quickly.'  
  
'If you could see old Malfoy's face !' laughed Ron 'He looked as if he had wanted to kill you with his gaze. And Snape !' he smiled viciously 'He was simply ill with rage.'  
  
'Well, he pays me back at Potions.' said Harry lightly.  
  
He was so happy that even a prospect of the lesson with furious Snape couldn't mar his joy.  
  
'And that handsome wizard who came with Malfoy was completely shocked.' said Hermione 'He even didn't notice you had caught the Snitch.'  
  
When she mentioned the wizard Harry immediately remembered an incident from before the match. He drew his friends aside and quickly told them everything. Ron and Hermione were surprised but they had no more time to think about that, since an enormous figure with a shaggy, dark beard loomed from the crowd of the students.  
  
'Harry, just great!' thundered Hagrid over the heads of the Gryffindors, pushing his way through the crowd.  
  
He stopped near Harry.  
  
'Same like yer dad' he smiled ' Great Seeke' he was. He would be proud o' yeh...' he snivelled and shook his head sadly 'But I have a s'prise fo' yeh' he added more cheerfully, looked quickly around and lowered his voice 'Somebody wan'to congratulate you.'  
  
Harry's eyes flared up.  
  
'So he really has come!' he exclaimed.  
  
Hagrid nodded.  
  
'O'course, he didn' wan'to miss yer match. Now, follow me. Must lose yer fans, Harry.'  
  
Grffindors, however, didn't want to let their hero go so easily. Harry had to tell them once more how he had caught the Snitch before they released him. Following Hagrid, Harry, Ron and Hermione left the pitch and went towards the Keeper's hut. Hagrid, however, didn't stop there and led them into the Forbidden Forest.  
  
After several minutes they reached a small clearing. A large, black dog was sitting in the middle. When it saw Harry it wagged its tail and in a split second transformed itself into a man.  
  
'Sirius!' called Harry.  
  
Sirius Black smiled heartily. How much he resembled now that young, merry man from Harry's parents wedding photograph. His glossy dark hair was falling on his shoulders, eyes finally got back their lustre. That wasn't the same wizard who had escaped from Azkaban two years ago.  
  
'Sirius' repeated Harry 'You look great.'  
  
Black laughed.  
  
'I'm the one who should tell compliments' he said 'You played a great match today.'  
  
'Will be in my hut' said Hagrid, winking at Ron and Hermione and all three left the clearing.  
  
Harry smiled gratefully. Hagrid rightly guessed that he would like to speak with Sirius in private.  
  
'Tell me, how are your things going on.' asked Black, sitting on the grass.  
  
And Harry told him everything that happened from the beginning of the school year. Sirius smiled mysteriously when he noticed that Harry was talking with a great enthusiasm about the Defence Against the Dark Arts lessons.  
  
'So you like your new Defence teacher?' he asked, looking attentively at his godson.  
  
'Sure!' said Harry 'Everybody likes her, even Slytherins. Though, I must say, she is very demanding. And strict.'  
  
'Certainly' he said, still smiling 'That's Vega. She is the first-rate Auror. The best one.'  
  
Harry pricked up his ears.  
  
'You wrote you knew her from Hogwart...?' he asked innocently.  
  
'That's right' assented Sirius 'We were in Gryffindor together.'  
  
Harry was waiting silently but Sirius didn't say anything more. Therefore Harry tried from the other side.  
  
'One day, by accident, we heard professor Starlight quarrelling with Snape. She was really furious. They were talking about Remus...'  
  
Suddenly Sirius became very serious.  
  
'Harry' he said trenchantly, putting his hand on the boy's shoulder 'There are things you should not ask me about. What happened then...' he sighed and for a moment was sitting silently, as if he was watching some distant past 'That is not your business, Harry' he said gently and a grief flickered in his dark eyes 'You must understand, it can still hurt...'  
  
A silence fell. Sirius was looking thoughtfully at the waving branches of the trees, surrounding the small clearing. Finally he sighed and smiled to Harry.  
  
'Well, enough those sad memories. You didn't tell me how Ron and Hermione were.'  
  
They were chatting for another half an hour. At last Sirius controlled his watch and stretched himself.  
  
'It's time for me, Harry' he said, standing up 'I think we won't meet before the Christmas, but we stay in touch.'  
  
To Harry's much delight Sirius informed him that this year's winter holidays they would spend together at Remus Lupin.  
  
'Good-bye' said Black and a great, shaggy dog appeared again.  
  
'Good-bye' Harry patted it on the head.  
  
Suddenly the dog cocked its ears and growled grimly. Harry turned around and jumped up. Among the trees a figured loomed, making its way confidently towards the clearing. Harry was watching anxiously as the stranger was moving closer and closer. The dog was growling, baring its fangs.  
  
A tall man stopped abruptly at the edge of the glade, as if surprised to find somebody there. Harry carefully put hand into his pocket and clasped fingers on the wand. But in the same second the man laughed and went out from the shadow of the trees. In the full sun his wavy hair glistened as a bright gold.  
  
'Harry!' he called with a smile 'Here you are! I was walking round the like and when I was passing by the Forest I heard voices. I thought I would check, who was it. And I found you.'  
  
'Mr Devilson...'  
  
Harry was so astonished that he couldn't say anything more. Devilson moved towards him with a merry glint in his eyes. In the same moment Sirius sprang forward with its hackles up and blocked his way. The wizard quivered and took a step back.  
  
'Is it your dog?' he asked, looking at the beast 'It looks as if it wanted to devour me.'  
  
'It will not hurt you.' assured Harry, seizing the dog by the fur and trying to pulled it away from Devilson.  
  
But again he was seized with fear. Sirius wouldn't behave like this without any reason. Magnus didn't take his eyes off it.  
  
'That's not a normal dog' he said slowly 'These are not animal eyes.'  
  
Harry felt an unpleasant cramp in his stomach. If Devilson discover that the dog is indeed a wizard wanted by the whole ministry...  
  
'What is going on here?' a cold voice sounded.  
  
Vega Starlight stood at the edge of the clearing, casting a sweeping glance at them. For a moment her eyes rested at Sirius, who suddenly ceased growling. The witch fixed her eyes on Devilson.  
  
'Did you lose your way, Magnus?' she asked with a faint smile 'You disappeared for so long that we have already started to worry...'  
  
Harry couldn't help feeling that a veiled warning is hidden behind those kind words. Devilson, however, smiled lightly.  
  
'Oh, you didn't have to. I was walking and I met Harry.'  
  
Vega looked at the boy.  
  
'It's time to go back to the castle, Potter' she said mildly but categorically 'Say good-bye to Padfoot.'  
  
Harry stood dumbfounded. Professor Starlight knew a school nickname of Sirius! And she hadn't doubt that the great, black dog is Sirius himself. Harry looked astonished at Vega but he couldn't read anything from her face.  
  
Meanwhile, the dog approached Vega wagging its tail and licked her hand. The witch smiled and gently pulled a shaggy ear.  
  
'Nip off' she said softly.  
  
Sirius barked, stroke Harry with its nose and faded among the trees.  
  



	5. Impostor

5. Impostor   
  
During the supper Severus felt his Dark Mark was burning. Voldemort wanted to see him. It astonished him a bit. He was expected to submit his next report in a week and it has never occurred before that Lord wanted to see him so unexpectedly.  
  
'Something must have happened...' Snape was meditating.  
  
After the supper he didn't even enter his office but at once left the castle and went towards Hogsmead. After fifteen minutes walk Severus reached a broad, paved road. Here the Hogwart grounds ended. The wizard crossed the road, stopped and turned away. He was staring at darkness as if he wanted to see there some mysterious signs.  
  
And, in a way, that was the case. To the west of the road the Dark Arts Detection System spread out. If somebody was just passing by, he wouldn't notice anything but Severus could feel the air vibrating with a powerful, accumulated magic. He also knew that if anybody tried to cross the invisible barrier without permission, he would be immediately stunned and immobilised. But how could the system identify the wizards, it still remained Vega's closely kept secret. She didn't reveal it even to Dumbledore.  
  
Snape breathed cold air and wrapped himself in his thick, black cloak. He looked around and Disapparated.  
  


. . .

  
The castle of Lord Voldemort was plunged in darkness. Severus shuddered when he realised he had Apparated among the broken tombstones. The old, rotten trees were hanging their branches over them like long, greedy fingers.  
  
Snape passed quickly the cemetery and entered a vast yard, illuminated by the pale moonlight. He crossed the stone bridge that joined two banks of a broad moat, covered with a grey mist exhaling faint, cadaverous smell. He hardly put his foot on the highest step of the stairs when the door opened silently. The Potion Master crossed the castle threshold.  
  
In a strip of light falling from the yard, Snape saw a figured crouched near the wall. When the man noticed him, he jumped up and Severus could recognise a pale face and small, restless eyes of Wormtail.  
  
'Master is expecting you' he whispered with a servile bow.  
  
Snape looked at him with an extreme contempt. He would crush this wretched creature like a worm. Pettrigiew had to read some of those thoughts from Severus face, because he crouched again and went quickly into the corridor. They climbed the stairs and stopped in front of the door of a small room. Snape looked around attentively; he has never been before in this part of the castle. Wormtail touched the door with his wand and stepped aside.  
  
In the middle of the room there stood an oblong, ebony table. At the further end Voldemort was sitting, his red eyes fixed on the entering wizard. Snape bowed with esteem.  
  
'Just in time, Severus' said Lord with a cold smile 'We've just been talking about the Hogwart.'  
  
Snape entered the room, wondering who Voldemort meant saying 'we'. And then he saw a tall figure in a black cloak standing near the window. As previously, his face was deep in a shadow of the hood. Voldemort noticed astonishment in Snape's eyes.  
  
'The time has come you get to know each other' he said, beckoning to the masked man 'That is my trusted agent. He is realising an extremely important mission...risky and difficult. That's why he must stay anonymous. You can call him Impostor.'  
  
Snape nodded. He knew Lord didn't let him into all his plans and secrets. First of all for he could not reveal anything, even under _Veritaserum_. But Snape suspected something more. Even now he wasn't quite sure if Voldemort really trusted him. If he trusted anybody...  
  
His meditation was interrupted by the cold voice of the Dark Lord.  
  
'Severus, I called you tonight you could met Impostor. One of the very few possibilities, unfortunately. He cannot visit me too often.'  
  
Snape nodded, asking himself inwards why he had to meet with the mysterious wizard. Voldemort waved his wand and a long parchment materialised on the table. Dark Lord unrolled it with a cruel smile. Snape gasped and clenched his hands on the chair back. The parchment was a map of Hogwart.  
  
'Yes, Hogwart...' said Voldemort lazily, staring at the paper with a burning gaze 'People believe that as long as Albus Dumbledore protects it, even the Dark Lord will not be able to destroy it. Fools !' he laughed 'Hogwart will fall. And I will get Harry Potter.'  
  
In the silence that fell after those words Snape could hear a soft hiss, coming from under the hood.  
  
Somewhere outside an owl hooted. Voldemort looked at the wizards. He was not smiling anymore.  
  
'There is only one obstacle' he said sinisterly 'Vega Starlight.'  
  
Severus felt an icy shiver but he controlled himself perfectly. No muscle twitched in his pale face.  
  
'I must admit,' proceeded Lord 'old Albus had a brilliant idea to bring her to Hogwart. That Dark Arts Detection System...' a reluctant appreciation glittered in his eyes 'Impostor examined it well. It will be difficult to break it.'  
  
Uneasy thoughts were whirling in Snape's head. How does the Impostor know so much about the DADS ? Was that his important mission ? And who the hell he was ?  
  
'Severus' the Dark Lord looked at him keenly 'You are at Hogwart every day. I'd like to know your opinion.'  
  
And Snape told him everything Vega had explained during the first meeting with the teachers. It has never been kept secret. It allowed to understand how the system worked but didn't reveal its weak points. Only Vega Starlight knew how to break the DADS.  
  
'You must get this information' commanded Voldemort 'And then even Albus Dumbledore will not stop me. But before...' his eyes shone coldly 'We will see what powers lurk in the heir of Slytherin.'  
  


* * *

_(October 12th, 1995)_  
  
Right after the breakfast Harry, Ron and Hermione went to visit Hagrid. They found him in a small garden behind his hut, digging vigorously with an enormous spade. Every now and then he bent and from the scarified soil he took out a small bulb the size of a tennis ball and threw it into a big bucket.  
  
'Wait a moment, jus' finishin' he gasped out.  
  
Two more bulbs landed in the bucket.  
  
'What are you doing?' asked Harry.  
  
'Lookin' fer lilies bulbs' said Hagrid lightly, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world 'They love it, so I thought...'  
  
He stopped talking abruptly and, giving the friends a confused glance, began digging yet more vigorously. But they knew Hagrid well and immediately guessed that he has just let slip something that should have remained secret. They exchanged exited glances.  
  
'Who loves them, Hagrid?' asked Hermione innocently.  
  
Hagrid pretended not to hear but Hermione was not going to give up so easily.  
  
'What kind of animal can like the lily bulbs?' she was wondering loudly, observing Hagrid's reaction.  
  
A spade handle snapped with a crack. Hagrid was turning the useless stick round, murmuring softly:  
  
'Always think twice before open yer mouth...'  
  
'Hagrid, we will not tell anybody' promised Ron, smiling widely.  
  
Suddenly Hagrid cast the spade, grasped the bucket and moved towards the hut.  
  
'It's not yer business.' he snorted.  
  
He looked really irritated. Friends exchanged glances.  
  
'O.K.' said Harry, trying to sound unconcernedly.  
  
Hagrid looked at him suspiciously but a smile at Harry's face was so innocent that he cheered up.  
  
'C'mone, have cup o' tea' he offered, opening the door.  
  
Soon water was bubbling in the kettle and three cups and one huge mug stood on the table. When everybody had already settled themselves comfortably, tasting an aromatic tea (the Chinese one, as explained Hagrid proudly), Harry asked the question that had bothered them for over the month.  
  
'Hagrid, where have you been?'  
  
This time Hagrid kept so cool that they were surprised.  
  
'Believe me, wish I could tell you. But I can't. Don' ask me more.'  
  
Harry felt that he had enough of it. Wherever he looked, whoever he asked, he met only secrets and mysteries. Even the closest friends didn't tell him everything. First Sirius, then Hagrid. Harry felt that something important was going on and he hadn't the faintest idea what was it. He could only guess it was somehow connected with Voldemort return.  
  
Ron and Hermione had to think the same and Harry was sure they also didn't like it. They were silent, winking gloomily at each other. Hagrid was staring thoughtfully at the bottom of his mug. The silence was so unpleasant that Harry couldn't bare it.  
  
'Hagrid, what did you plan for tomorrow lesson?'  
  
A sudden relief appeared on Hagrid's face, he looked at Harry thankfully.  
  
'Try to breed gargoyles!' he said joyfully 'Wait, show yeh eggs !'  
  
He started up and, stamping loudly, run out the hut. Ron looked both surprised and disturbed. All magical creatures Hagrid used to present during his lessons were usually a bit dangerous and difficult to breed.  
  
'I hope they don't bite, don't scratch, don't sting...' Ron expressed a common wish.  
  
Hermione smiled sourly.  
  
'Hagrid was too happy it could be true...' she sighed.  
  
Heavy steps rumbled at the stairs and Hagrid stood at the door, dragging a huge sack behind him. He approached the table and poured there out a content of the sack. Harry's jaw dropped.  
  
'Err...Hagrid, what are going to do with those stones?' he asked astounded.  
  
At the table dozens of rocks were lying, various sizes and shapes. Hagrid was beaming.  
  
'These a' not stones' he said solemnly 'but gargoyles eggs.'  
  
All the three started up from the chairs and lent over the table, watching the strange eggs with disbelief. Even from a short distance they looked like stones.  
  
'How did you get them?' asked Ron, tapping one of the rocks with the knife blade.  
  
'From Magnus' Hagrid was staring at the eggs with admiration 'He brough'em from Norway.'  
  
Ron stood motionless and gave Harry a quick gaze. He had already known everything about the yesterday meeting in the Forest.  
  
'Dou you know Mr Devilson?' he asked casually.  
  
Hagrid looked at him astounded.  
  
'O'course I do, why...' suddenly he tapped his forehead 'I forgot, you weren' here then.'  
  
'WHEN?!' they called together.  
  
Hagrid smiled.  
  
'Ten year' ago Magnus Devilson was a teacher at Hogwart. Care o'Magical Animals he taught.'  
  
Harry was thunderstruck. He was staring at Hagrid completely bewildered.  
  
'Devilson worked at Hogwart?' he repeated as if he had to hear it once more to believe it.  
  
'One year' only' explained Hagrid 'But I liked him very much that time. A grea' animals expert he is. He loves'em and manages to tame 'em.'  
  
Harry remembered the grey, dreamy eyes of Devilson, gazing hypnotically at madly growling Sirius. He was seized again with a strange anxiety.  
  
'But why did he work here for only one year?' asked Hermione soberly.  
  
Hagrid sighed.  
  
'He resigned. Jus' like that. Even Dumbledore was s'prised.' he darkened 'Maybe I shouldn' tell yeh this, but...' he hesitated and looked quickly at the door.  
  
Harry, Ron and Hermione held their breath.  
  
'S'pose it was through Snape' said Hagrid in a low voice 'Headmaster gave'im work year after Devilson. From the beginning was clear Snape didn' like Magnus. An' a few days later...I heard, by accident, they quarrellin'. Snape told if Devilson doesn' leave Hogwart he goes to Dumbledore. An' same night Magnus packed an' set out.'  
  
A silence fell for a moment and then everybody started to talk all at once.  
  
'Snape ousted Devilosn? But why?' asked Harry.  
  
'It's just like him...' muttered Ron malevolently.  
  
'He had to have a reason... Hagrid, do you know anything?'  
  
Hagrid shook his head.  
  
'And I wonder how Snape blackmailed Devilson that night.' said Hermione, looking thoughtfully at the stone eggs.  
  



	6. Special Forces

6. Special Forces   
  
_(November 15th, 1995)_  
  
Vega Apparated at the crowded yard of the Ministry of Magic. She looked around attentively and frowned. Dozens of witches and wizards were getting in and out the building, people were apparating without any limits. There were, however, no signs of any guards and all the active defensive spells could be easily neutralised by a commonly talented Hogwart student. If Voldemort decided to attack, he wouldn't meet any resistance.  
  
Vega scowled and moved towards the high edifice of the Ministry. So Dumbledore really had good reasons to worry. Evidently Cornelius Fudge decided not to accept the fact that the Dark Lord had come back and he didn't undertake anything to protect the community against the possible attack.  
  
'Against the inevitable attack.' thought Vega.  
  
Like Dumbledore, she was sure that Voldemort would assail soon, more powerful than ever. And he would not rest until terror of his name doesn't spread over the whole world.  
  
'We must be ready...' thought Vega with a grim twinkle.  
  
She run up the marble stairs. Several people looked back at her, others stopped and watched her intently. Vega was one of the most famous Aurors, known for her severity and triumphs in fighting with the Death Eaters. Some years ago she had gone abroad and dedicated herself to the scientific work, but people still remembered her spectacular encounters with the Dark Lord servants. Therefore, no wonder that many people started to think whether her return had something to do with the rumours about Voldemort's rebirth.  
  
Vega was walking through the long corridor of the ministry, impatiently returning greetings. Finally she turned left and entered a large, wainscoted room. There was a massive desk near the opposite wall. On its right-hand side an iron door led into to office of the minister A wizard, sitting at the desk, sprang to his feet.  
  
'Vega !' he called beaming 'How nice to see you again!'  
  
'Hi, Henry. May I talk to the boss?' asked the witch, smiling.  
  
'Yes, he is waiting for you' the wizard looked at the door, making a wry face 'He's not in a good mood...'  
  
'I'm afraid I'll make it even worse.' said Vega, putting her hand on a handle.  
  
In the same moment the door opened and the Minister of Magic appeared. He smiled falsely, his eyes were full of a hardly masked antipathy.  
  
'Welcome' he said, trying to sound courteously 'What bring you to the ministry, Ms Starlight?' Vega entered the office and cast a glance at the stylish furniture.  
  
'You know it well, Minister.' she said coldly.  
  
Fudge quickly closed the door. His lower lip started to tremble.  
  
'If you want me to listen again those rubbish about the You-Know-Who return...'  
  
'These are not rubbish.' Vega interrupted him sharply 'And you will see it soon. But today I didn't come here to repeat everything you had already heard from Dumbledore.' she approached the window and looked at the great, square yard, full of the colourful crowd 'You don't have to believe in Voldemort's return, Minister' she said calmly, turning to Fudge 'but you mustn't expose to danger all the community only because you are a fool.'  
  
Fudge's face turned deep purple.  
  
'If I were you I would mind my words' he hissed, shaking with rage 'I'm not going to listen it. Get out, Starlight ! And tell Dumbledore that if he doesn't stop those his shady practices, I will find somebody else to be Hogwart director.'  
  
Fudge gasped with rage, his lower lips was trembling like a spring. Vega was looking at him with expressionless face and didn't move.  
  
'Clear out, Starlight !' roared Fudge, completely loosing his nerves 'I can...'  
  
'Calm down, Fudge.' snorted Vega.  
  
She moved slowly across the office, her steel-grey eyes fixed on the minister face. Fudge swallowed nervously and took a step back. Vega smiled ironically.  
  
'You will listen everything I want to tell you, Fudge.' she said in assertive tone 'Voldemort will attack soon. We must be prepared to face him. Dumbledore suggests reactivating the old Special Forces. Bringing back the Aurors who left the ministry. Starting schooling of the new ones.'  
  
Fudge looked at her as if she had suddenly started to speak in a foreign language.  
  
'You are mad !' he whispered 'He didn't come back and will never do... Special Forces ! I'll never agree to that !'  
  
Vega'a eyes were full of a deep contempt.  
  
'I always knew you were an idiot, Minister.' she said icily 'I have nothing more to tell you. Good day.'  
  
And without another look at Fudge she left the office. Henry glanced at her inquiringly but noticing dangerous glints in her eyes, he didn't ask about anything. Vega nodded and went quickly towards the main hall.  
  
'Vega !'  
  
She switched round. A dark-haired wizard was running down the stairs, waving at her. Vega laughed.  
  
'Rupert Rail ! You came as a blessing ! I've been just looking for you.'  
  
They shook their hands. Rail was watching Vega with a melancholic smile.  
  
'So many years have passed...' he said softly 'And it seems that only yesterday we hunted the Death Eaters from Blackburn. Do you know that I'm the only one from our squad who stayed in the ministry?'  
  
Vega smiled grimly.  
  
'I heard about that.' she snarled 'And about much more. Only a few Aurors still work. The ministry is not guarded. The Dementors are not controlled. This damned fool Fudge is completely unaware of the danger !'  
  
A deep concern glinted in Rail's green eyes.  
  
'Is that really so serious ?' he whispered 'Different rumours can be heard. Fudge denies everything, but they say that...You-Know-Who came back.'  
  
Vega nodded gravely.  
  
'He did.' she said dryly 'He is planning something. And the Minister of Magic is not doing anything to stop him !'  
  
Rupert lent heavily on a stone pillar.  
  
'I was afraid it was true.' he sighed 'Dumbledore couldn't be wrong. He was here latterly in August and he left very angry.'  
  
'Fudge is deaf to our arguments.' spat Vega 'He will not help us. Just ten minutes ago he didn't agree to reactivate the Special Forces.'  
  
Rail looked surprised but he didn't say a word. Vega cast him a searching glance.  
  
'And that's why I've been looking for you.' she said 'We have to organise Aurors again. With or without Fudge's assent.'  
  
Rupert nodded.  
  
'O.K. You can count on me.'  
  
'So, let's start !' said Vega enthusiastically, her eyes were flashing 'Get in touch with the Aurors from the squads "alpha" and "beta". I'll contact the others. We will meet in two weeks, in the old castle of Whitestone.'  
  
Rupert smiled broadly.  
  
'It seems that the old times came back. If not the situation, I would say I'm glad. See you soon !'  
  
They shook their hands and went away into different directions.  
  


* * *

_(November 29th, 1995)_  
  
  
A street, one of the many similar streets of the London suburb, was empty and quiet. Vega crossed a yellowed, weed-grown lawn and stopped in front of the door of a ruinous house. She was just about to knock, but at the last moment she restrained herself. She reached for a stone lying on the ground and cast it in the door. A dazzling light flared up and a stone, blackened with smoke, rolled up to the witch's feet.  
  
Vega sighed and went back on the lawn.  
  
'Alastor, that's me, Vega Starlight !' she called, casting a sweeping glance at the front of the house.  
  
Something moved in the window at the first floor and a granite mascaron, attached to the door, roared in a hoarse voice:  
  
'Damn! Vega?! Is that really you?!'  
  
'And did you expect somebody else today ?' asked the Auror impatiently 'Let me in, Alastor !'  
  
A heavy tramp could be heard inside the house and suddenly the door opened with a crash. An old, tall man stood at the doorstep. His face was cut with the numerous scars and surrounded by a bushy mane of grey hair. One hand he lent on a stick, while the other, armed with a wand, pointed at Vega. His artificial, light-blue eye rolled madly by the whole orbit and stopped, fixed at the witch. For a while Moody was eyeing her up and down and suddenly he burst out laughing.  
  
'Vega Starlight herself !' he exclaimed 'Come in, come in.'  
  
Vega approached him.  
  
'What have you done with those door ?!' she asked reproachfully 'If I had knocked I would lost my second palm.'  
  
Moody smiled grimly.  
  
'Not only the palm, but all the hand' he said with satisfaction 'Such a little surprise for the unwelcome guests. You must be careful at every step !'  
  
'I know, constant vigilance...' muttered Vega, looking about the hall 'It has changed a bit here. What is that ?'  
  
She approached the small table. A small, richly incrusted box of red wood stood there. It was made by one piece and has neither lock nor padlock. Vega examined it with interest. 'Interesting....' she lifted the box carefully and moved it closer to the light 'Looks like Greek work. Let me guess: Pandora's Box?'  
  
Moody nodded.  
  
'A unique model' he said proudly 'Very powerful one. I found it by accident, quite funny story...' he waved his hand impatiently 'But you didn't come here to listen to the old tales. You have more important problems. What about the assembly at Whitestone?'  
  
Vega settled herself comfortably in an armchair near the fireplace.  
  
'Full success !' her eyes flashed triumphantly 'Everybody came, except you and...Frank Longbottom.'  
  
Moody sighed heavily.  
  
'Poor Frank... His son is at Hogwart now?'  
  
'Yes' nodded Vega 'He's not a top student, but he's a good boy. When I look at him I see Frank...' she sighed 'Well, we can't help him anymore. But we can prevent something like that happen again. Alastor,' she said emphatically 'Special Forces have been reactivated. From the four former squads we form by now the three new ones. Well, years have passed, not all the Aurors are still operational. These ones will go in for the adepts training. Alastor,' she looked piercingly at Moody 'May I count on you?'  
  
Mad-eye was sitting motionless, with an expression of a gloomy reverie on his face. Vega was silent, too. Finally the old wizard moved and stretched his wooden leg.  
  
'O.K.' he said, looking at Vega's eyes 'But only because you asked me about that. Long before now I decided to retire...I would not be too useful in my condition.' he significantly tapped the floor with the wooden leg.  
  
'Don't be ridiculous !' snorted Vega 'You are in perfect form.'  
  
Moody laughed gloomily.  
  
'Leave aside these compliments, my dear. I told you I agreed. But you forgot to tell me who would command the Special Forces.'  
  
'Each squad has its own captain.' said Vega 'In "gamma" Rupert Rail, in "beta" Edgar Higgs and in "alpha" me.'  
  
Moody shook his head thoughtfully. Vega controlled the watch.  
  
'I have to go' she said, standing up 'I would stay longer but I still have to check the control tests of the seven-years. I didn't expect that teacher could have so much work.'  
  
Alastor smiled.  
  
'So now you understand why I wanted to avoid the adepts training. But if we are talking about the Hogwart...how is Snape ?'  
  
A deep antipathy expressed on Vega's face. She cast Moody a dark look and shrugged her shoulders.  
  
'To be honest I don't care about that' she said coldly 'if it doesn't concern Hogwart security.'  
  
'Dumbledore says Snape is his spy...' Alastor was talking now in a very low voice.  
  
Vega looked at him suspiciously.  
  
'That's true' she nodded 'That was Snape who told us that Voldemort was planning to attack Hogwart.'  
  
'He's taking a great risks' said Moody 'Do you thing he says the true?' his eyes were piercing at Vega.  
  
The witch clenched her teeth.  
  
'Dumbledore trusts him.' she said dryly.  
  
Moody sneered.  
  
'That's not an argument, my dear. He would give a second chance to everyone, even to Voldemort. I want to know,' he said emphatically 'whether YOU trusts him.'  
  
Vega looked at him coldly.  
  
'Damn ! What is that all?!' she snarled angrily 'Snape claims he is on our side. Dumbledore trusts him. Why do you ask me these all questions?!'  
  
Moody got up and approached Vega.  
  
'You know my opinion about Snape.' he said calmly 'Who once was a Death Eather, would stay him forever. You cannot betray the Dark Lord... and survive' he fixed his eyes in the witch 'But maybe this one time I'm wrong... You know him much better...'  
  
Vega laughed nastily.  
  
'Nobody knows him truly.' she hissed venomously.  
  
'I believe it' sighed Moody 'It's not possible to know completely the other man. But you know Snape better then whoever else. At Hogwart you were studying the Dark Arts together. You were friends...'  
  
Vega stood silent, staring gloomily at the dark window. Moody put hand on her arm.  
  
'There is something more that Albus told me' he said softly 'Seventeen years ago Severus Snape saved your life...'  
  



	7. Avada Kedavra

7. Avada Kedavra   
  
_(December 13th, 1995)_  
  
The Christmas atmosphere could be felt at every step. Along the Diagon Alley there rose a double row of trees, decorated with the colourful glass balls. In chilly, evening air the small stars were flying, singing softly in sweet, high voices.  
  
Severus pushed his way through the crowd of witches and wizard, gathered in front of the entrance to the illuminated gallery. A murmur of voices was coming from the inside mixed with the sounds of the Arabic music and an inscription over the door read: "SESAM - a paradise for everyone."  
  
Without any look at the window-dressing, Severus went towards the white walls the Gringotts Bank. It wasn't his aim, however. He passed a sweet shop, full of the yelling children and teenagers, he stopped and, looking quickly around, he turned into a narrow, dark street.  
  
In a split second all the noise grew quiet and the lights diminished, as if the whole Diagon Alley had been suddenly separated by a thick, grey fog. An icy wind blew. Severus put on his hood and started to climb down, to the heart of the Knockturn Alley.  
  
The street seemed to be completely deserted. No sound could be heard except the snow crunching under the boots of the Potion Master. All shops were closed and the windows were dark but Snape was sure that he was still observed by the watchful, unfriendly eyes. Several times he thought he saw in the darkness a faint, bent figure who stopped for a while, as for watching the wizard, and than vanished noiselessly in the mist.  
  
Severus stopped in front of the one of the abandoned shops and knocked at the door, three times loudly, once softly. Nobody answered. He knocked again, much louder. No response. He swore and has just reached for the wand when he heard the stealthy steps and somebody stood at the opposite side of the door.  
  
'Master Snape...?' a shrill voice whispered with disbelief.  
  
'Can't you see?' snarled Severus 'Open up, Goldfang !'  
  
The door creaked and in a thin crack appeared a bold head of a small, thin man. In his gnarled fingers he held a sooty lamp. Man's half-closed eyes were staring at Snape suspiciously.   
  
'How long are you going you keep me outside?' growled Severus impatiently.  
  
Goldfang smiled apologetically and stepped back, letting Snape inside.  
  
'Forgive me, sir' he said with a nasty grimace, which made his wrinkled face similar to a wooden mask 'But nowadays you must be very careful, who are you going to open.'  
  
'What happened?' asked Severus, taking off the hood and shaking down the snow.  
  
'Aurors !' spat Goldfang angrily 'They came here, a week ago. Searched whole the shop, every damned corner. They said they would keep a sharp eye on me.'  
  
'Did they find anything interesting?' asked Snape lazily.  
  
Goldfang smiled cunningly.  
  
'No...why should they ? My business is clean, no Dark Arts' his eyes flashed like the cat's lights 'But at Borgin they made a pretty big mess. Seized some precious stuff...' he sighed with a false sympathy.  
  
Everybody who visited Knockturn Alley knew that Borgin and Goldfang didn't like each other.  
  
'I heard,' proceeded Goldfang, glad that he could tell such a recent story 'that those Aurors don't have assent of the Ministry. But they know, damned mudbloods, that no one from the Kncoturn Alley would go to protest at Fudge's office.'  
  
'Instead of complaining you should be glad they didn't find anything here.' said coldly Severus, already bored with the wizard chatter.  
  
'But they frightened my clients !' moaned Goldfang 'Anyway, you will see, sir.'  
  
He led Snape into a cellar, full of the huge, wooden boxes. Picking his way between them, Goldfang approach to the opposite wall, covered with a thick coat of dust and cobwebs. He took out his wand, touched on of the brick and murmured some words. Without any sound the stones disappeared, revealing a massive door.  
  
'Welcome, sir !'  
  
First time this evening Goldfang smiled broadly, showing his crooked teeth, with one, golden fang among them.  
  
He opened the door and a hot, stuffy air came out from the inside. A large room was dim, only three weakly smouldering lamps were hanging from the ceiling. Near the walls there were several long tables with some shady figures at them. Behind the huge counter stood a stout, ruddy witch. From time to time she shrieked something to the guests and then an old raven, slipping at her arm, raised its head and echoed her with a horse scream.  
  
Severus walked down three steps and walked firmly toward the table in the darkest corner of the room. Somebody was sitting there wrapped in a grey cloak. Snape cast him a cold glance and without a word sat at the other side of the table, waving away the ruddy barmaid.  
  
The person sitting opposite Snape raised his head. He was in fact she, an old witch with a long, grey, matted hair. When she saw Severus she chortled squeakily and grabbed his hand with her clawed, bony palm.  
  
'So you came, my dear!' she chattered coaxingly, revealing her almost toothless gums 'You kept me waiting for a long time. But your Milagros could wait for you to the end of the world....' she fluttered her false eyelashes skittishly and stuck her claws harder in the rigid Snape's palm 'For you, my pretty laddie...'  
  
'Have you got it?!' Snape interrupted her roughly, wrenching his hand from the grasping clasp.  
  
Milagros blew her mouth like an offended school-girl and cast down her eyes.  
  
'Maybe I have, maybe not.' she said carelessly watching with the great interest a spider running across the table.  
  
She raised one of her long nails and impetuously spiked a hairy body. The spider quivered several times convulsively and ceased moving. The witch reached for a small box, opened it and threw the spider inside.  
  
'Have you got it?!' repeated Snape, murderous glints flashing in his black eyes.  
  
'You are very impolite for Milagros, my dear' said the witch, winking at Snape 'It wasn't easy. I had to go very far, I had to take a great risk...'  
  
'That's what I pay you for !' snarled Snape, pulling out a large money-bag 'Three thousands galleons, as we had agreed.'  
  
He cast the money on the table. Milagros' eyes shone like two coins, she stretched her hands greedily.  
  
'First, show it.' growled Snape, pushing the bag away.  
  
With her eyes fixed at the money, the witch bent and from under the table she took out a small bundle. She unpacked it and put on the table a bottle filled with a blue, muddy liquid. Snape's eyes glittered triumphantly. He reached for his wand, whispered: _Lumos_ and moved the wand tip closer to the bottle. In one moment the fluid shone like an azure crystal, revealing its inside.  
  
'Are you happy, my dear?' asked sweetly Milagros, bringing her claws closer and closer to the money-bag 'Heart of a young manticore. Fresh, it ceased beating only a few hours ago...' she smiled dreamily.  
  
Snape quickly put the bottle into his pocket and stood up.  
  
'It looks good' he said dryly 'But if you're trying to cheat me...'  
  
The witch fluttered her eyelashes with disbelief.  
  
'My dear, how could I try to cheat you ?!' she screeched 'Milagros will do everything for you...' she revealed her gums in a tempting smile 'Any new orders?'  
  
'I'll let you know' said briefly Snape and moved quickly towards the door.  
  
He was in the middle of the room when a wizard, sitting at the nearby table, turned around to call the barmaid.  
  
'Severus ?!' Lucius Malfoy, with an empty jug in one hand, looked completely astonished 'What, the hell, you're doing here?!'  
  
Snape, no less surprised, sat at the opposite side.  
  
'I had something to deal with' he said vaguely.  
  
Malfoy caught his glance, understood, shook his head.  
  
'Such a duty' he muttered.  
  
The ruddy witch brought a cup for Snape and a new jug of wine. She put it on the table, bowed to Malfoy with esteem and returned to the counter.  
  
Lucius filled his mug without saying a word and drained it at one gulp.  
  
'He called me yesterday' he whispered hoarsely, reaching again for the jug; several drops fell on the table 'He demands a lot from me...'  
  
Severus was watching him carefully. He has never seen Lucius before in such a gloomy mood. But he knew also, that there's no sense to ask him about that. Lucius was not a man who would confide in anybody.  
  
The old raven shrieked. Lucius shuddered, as if poured with a cold water. He shook his head and pushed away the mug.  
  
'Do you know, who he asked me about yesterday?' Malfoy looked at Snape piercingly and quite consciously 'About that viper Starlight.'  
  
Severus shrugged his shoulders.  
  
'No wonder' he said indifferently 'Since she came back the problems have appeared. The DADS, the Aurors...'  
  
'That's not the point !' interrupted Malfoy 'Lord worries about something else.'  
  
Snape was looking at him attentively, his black eyes gleaming. Malfoy lent over the table.  
  
'Not since today hints could be heard' he said in a low voice 'that Starlight experimented with _Avada Kedavra_. Lord wants to know if that is true' he fixed his cold, grey eyes at Snape 'You know her well. That your strange friendship...'  
  
'I know nothing more than you do' said Snape, putting away the cup 'And I also heard rumours about those experiments. Well, as far as I know Vega, it can be true. She likes challenges. But it's lost labour' he smiled sourly 'Everybody knows there is no counter curse against _Avada_.'  
  
'Who knows...' muttered Malfoy thoughtfully 'Do you remember how Rosier died? And what Madcap had said during his trial...before he went completely mad? He swore that Rosier had been killed with _Avada_ reflected by Starlight.'  
  
'Madcap !' snorted Snape 'What can he remember ? He was hit in his head at the very beginning of the fight. Aurors found him unconscious.'  
  
'I have never believed this story, too' admitted Malfoy.  
  
He ceased talking and fixed his eyes at some distant point over the Snape's head. The room became empty. The barmaid was drowsing leant on the counter, the raven soaked its beak in a tequila bottle.  
  
It's impossible' whispered Malfoy suddenly, he reached desperately for a mug and drained it 'But he wants to know... And there is only one way to be sure... Only one...'  


. . .

  
Snape was standing on the top of the Northern Tower, looking down at the Hogwarts wall covered with snow. It was bitterly cold. Icy wind was howling gloomily among the turrets. The black cloak of the Potion Master was fluttered madly with every stronger blow.  
  
The pale starlight was reflecting in Snape's black eyes.  
  
'So many years have passed' he thought 'So many years...'  
  
  
_***(May 20th, 1978)  
  
'I still don't think it's a good idea' whispered Severus, looking out carefully from behind the corner.  
  
The corridor was empty.  
  
'Turn coward ?' sneered Vega and went quickly towards the stairs.  
  
'You know what I mean' snarled Snape, catching up with the girl 'No one has ever done it. It's simply impossible.'  
  
'I don't believe there exists a spell or a curse that cannot be blocked' hissed Vega passionately and next second she stopped abruptly, staring at darkness 'Peeves...' she whispered 'Damned Poltergeist!'  
  
At the top of the stairs loomed a faint figure. Peeves was flying close over the floor, cackling malevolently and pouring on the steps some sticky substance from a small bucket. Vega and Severus pressed against the wall.  
  
'He didn't see us' said Vega with relief 'But we will not pass this way.'  
  
'You should have taken Potter's Invisibility Cloak.' muttered Snape.  
  
'Oh, really ?!' Vega snorted angrily 'Sirius would start to ask me questions at once. Beside, James also needed the Cloak tonight.'  
  
'Right, a full moon...' admitted Severus.  
  
'Of course. How do you think I choose exactly this night? I told them I would not go because I wanted to learn...'  
  
She stopped talking abruptly. Peeves raised his head and looked down suspiciously. He soared slowly along the stairs, observing piercingly the empty corridors.  
  
'Somebody is there' he was murmuring squeakily 'I know somebody is there. Wait...' he giggled 'I will find you.'  
  
'The tapestry...' whispered Severus and pulled Vega's sleeve.  
  
Still pressed to the wall, they began to move noiselessly towards the large tapestry. They reached it unnoticed and slipped quickly in the hidden corridor, one of the many secret passages of Hogwart. They climbed up the steep stairs. The night was hot and the air in the narrow passage very stuffy. They breathed with relief when they finally reached a broad corridor at the third floor. There were no sign of Peeves.  
  
'I think we lost him' said Severus looking down.  
  
'And also found a nice shortcut' muttered Vega, pointing the nearest door 'This is Transfiguration classroom.'   
  
She approached the door and gently pressed a handle. To her surprise the door opened.  
  
'I would never expect that McGonagall leaves the classroom opened' she said with amazement.  
  
'Who would like to visit the Transfiguration room by night?' murmured Snape sneeringly, following the girl.  
  
'Somebody who needs a huge mirror' answered Vega soberly.  
  
The room was dark and only through the window a pale moonlight was falling and reflecting in the mirror, situated behind the professor desk. No one in Hogwart knew what purpose should it serve but Vega had for it her own application. She waved her wand and the massive desk flew in the other corner of the room. Vega stood several meters from the mirror and smiled with satisfaction.  
  
'It's perfect' she said, pointing the wand at the glimmering surface.  
  
Severus was watching her with a strange anxiety.  
  
'Vega, drop it!' he said categorically 'You will not repel __Avada_.'  
  
'I know what I'm doing !' snarled the girl.  
  
'You got completely mad !' almost yelled Snape 'It's a Killing Curse !'  
  
Vega looked at him and waved her hand impatiently.  
  
'Sev, I told you hundreds times that if I first reflect _Avada_ from the mirror it won't be so dangerous.'  
  
'A spider we practised it on died after a minute' reminded Severus.  
  
'Oh, it was because it was too small' bridled up Vega 'As for a spider it was quite long. Anyway,' her eyes glittered 'There is only one way to find out.'  
  
'You are stubborn as a mule !' said Snape sharply 'You will not block Avada. But if you must kill yourself to get convinced, I'm not going to disturb you.'  
  
Vega looked at him, snorted angrily and pointed wand towards the mirror. For a moment she stood motionless, her face was tense and concentrated but the grey eyes were burning hectically. Severus held his breath. Suddenly Vega cried:  
  
'Avada Kedavra !'  
  
From the wand tip a green ray shot, hit the mirror and reflected towards Vega. The girl waved his wand and screamed: Reflectio ! Before Severus could understand what had happened, the ray hit the mirror again and turned back. Snape noticed that Vega was staggering, the wand slept from her shaking hand. Without thinking he rushed forward and in the last second he pushed the girl from the green ray trajectory. The curse whizzed over his head and hit the wall, showering the classroom by the rain of the green sparks.  
  
Severus raised his head and for a while his eyes had to accustom to the fallen darkness. Suddenly he realised that his hands were coated with a warm, thick fluid. He kneeled, reached for his wand, whispered: Lumos and nearly screamed. He was stained in blood. Feeling his heart in his mouth he looked at lying Vega. She didn't move, her eyes were closed and the blood was running from her nose and mouth.  
  
'Vega!' cried terrified Severus, shaking the girl 'Vega ! Damn it! Look at me !'  
  
The witch didn't give any sign of life. Severus seized her wrist trying to find the pulse. Without result.  
  
'It's impossible...' he whispered 'Vega...you can't...'  
  
He sprang impetuously to his feet, lifted the girl from the floor and run out from the classroom. He rushed along the corridor towards to main stairs. But he had hardly reached the second floor when a sharp voice called:  
  
'Snape ! What are you doing here in the middle of the night !'  
  
Severus stopped abruptly. Her recognised this voice at once. He turned around and saw professor McGonagall, approaching him swiftly. She looked furious.  
  
'Snape ! You will pay dearly for it!' she growled 'Your beha...'  
  
She broke off suddenly, her eyes widened in horror. Slowly she moved her eyes from blood-stained Vega to the deadly pale face of Snape.  
  
'What...does it all mean...' she whispered, pointing at the girl with shaking hand.  
  
Severus desperately took a step forward.  
  
'An accident' he said in a muffled voice, as if the words got stuck in his throat 'I must immediately...'  
  
Suddenly a sound of the steps could be heard, somebody was quickly climbing the stairs. No more than two second passed and at the end of the corridor Dumbledore appeared, wearing his navy blue dressing-gown.  
  
'Albus !' shrieked McGonagall with panic 'For havens sake ! Hurry up !'  
  
'Calm down, Minerva.'  
  
Dumbledore cast them a piercing glance. He shuddered when he saw Snape carrying unconscious Vega. He run to the boy, took the girl from him and moved quickly toward the hospital wing.  
  
Snape felt he lost all his strength. He dragged himself slowly after Dumbledore, accompanied by totally shocked professor McGonagall.  
  
When they reached the hospital room, Madame Pomfrey was just leaning over Vega, pouring a blue mixture into her throat. Dumbledore was walking nervously along the bed.  
  
'How is she, Albus ?' asked softly McGonagall.  
  
The old wizard raised his head and looked piercingly at Snape.  
  
'She is still alive' he said, not taking his eyes off him 'But Reviving Potions don't work. Severus !' he said sternly 'How did it happen ?'  
  
Snape turned his eyes from Vega and stared at Dumbledore as if he wasn't sure he really saw him.  
  
'For Merlin's Beard ! Severus, tell me!' cried Headmaster ' It's about her life !'  
  
Snape clenched his teeth.  
  
'It was Avada Kedavra' he said dully.  
  
Madam Pomnfrey shrieked with horror. McGonagall, white as a sheet, sat on the bed. Dumbledore's face stiffened.  
  
'The Killing Curse' he whispered heavily 'No counter course, no antidote... What did you...'  
  
'Professor !' Snape interrupted hurriedly 'This curse has been reflected from the mirror.'  
  
Dumbledore looked at him astounded.  
  
'From the mirror? he asked slowly.  
  
Snape nodded.  
  
'So there is still hope' whispered the Headmaster 'Madam Pomfrey ! Give her immediately the Vivimortis potion. Double dose. If the curse had reflected from the mirror it lost more than a half of its power. In that form it doesn't kill at once but causes serious inner injuries that cannot be treated by means of the common medicines. Vivimortis is the most powerful Healing Potion. If it doesn't work...'  
  
Madame Pomfrey disappeared in a small room left of the main door. After a while she was back. In trembling hands she carried a huge goblet, filled with a red liquid. She carefully brought the vessel closer to Vega's mouth. For a moment nothing happened but suddenly a painful grimace twitched girl's face and she clenched fingers on the quilt. Dumbledore observed her with apprehension.  
  
'The potion is working' he said softly 'The nearest two hours will decide. Poppy,' he tuned to the dithering witch 'I leave Vega under your care. I will be at my office. If anything happens call me. Severus,' he turned to the boy 'Come with me.'  
  
Snape, who was staring intently at twisted Vega's face, made a movement as if he wanted to protest but he caught the severe eyes of Dumbledore and followed him without a word.  
  
They were walking silently through the dark corridors. The reached the stone gargoyle and after a while they were in the oval-shaped Headmaster office. Fawkes, drowsing on its perch, raised its head.  
  
'Sit down, Severus' said Dumbledore softy, pointing at the armchair.  
  
He lit a candle on the desk and sat on the opposite side. When Snape saw him in a twinkling light of the candle he realised that the wizard looked really very old at this moment. His eyes were tired and sad.  
  
'Severus,' he said gently but categorically 'Now tell me, what happened that night.'  
  
Snape stared at the table and after a while he started to talk in a flat voice. Dumbledore was listening attentively, without interrupting. Only when the boy reached the moment of the Avada second reflection, the Headmaster sighed heavily.  
  
'You acted very bravely and sensibly, Severus' he said solemnly 'If not you, Vega would be dead. The second hit would have killed her.'  
  
'I did it spontaneously' said Snape softly 'Everything happened so fast... Professor !' he looked at Dumbledore piercingly 'She did it ! She reflected Avada Kedavra !'  
  
Dumbledore shook his head.  
  
'No, Severus' he sighed.  
  
Snape was astonished.  
  
'You told it yourself that the curse first had reflected from the mirror.' proceeded the wizard 'Vega had good idea. She knew that spell cast in that way would lose some of its power and wouldn't be so deadly dangerous. But she didn't take into account that only because of that it was possible to reflect it.'  
  
'But...' Snape sounded disappointed 'It was _Avada_, anyway...'  
  
Dumbledored smiled with sorrow.  
  
'You're right' he said 'And not everybody would survive such an experiment. Many brilliant witches and wizards died trying to repel Avada Kedavra. But it's impossible. And Vega has to accept this.'  
  
He fell silent, watching Snape from over his glasses.  
  
'You must promise me something, Severus' he said very gravely 'You will never tell anybody about what happened that night.'  
  
Snape nodded. He felt it would be useless to ask: why.  
  
Dumbledore smiled slightly.  
  
'Thank you for your sincerity, Severus' he said 'I'm not going to deny that I'm really alarmed and worried by your interest with the Dark Arts...especially nowadays.' he looked at Snape searchingly.  
  
Severus immediately understood what Dumbledore meant.  
  
'I don't want to be a Death Eater !' he said firmly 'And neither Vega.'  
  
'I hope so...' Dumbledore sighed heavily.***  
  
  
Slowly, as if led by a starnge impulse, Snape rolled up a left sleeve of his cloak and robes. He looked at the skull, black snake crawling from its mouth. The Dark Mark diminished but Snape knew that every moment it can burn again. 


	8. Family portret

8. Family portret   
  
_(December 23rd, 1995)_  
  
White hills were slowly passing outside the train windows. The scenery was simply marvellous. Everything was covered with snow and shimmering in a cold sunlight, as if the ground was sprinkled with jewels.  
  
Harry has never felt so happy before. For the first time in his life he was to spend Christmas in a real home, with a man who was so close to him, with his godfather. It was something he had been always dreaming about, sitting in his dirty cupboard in the Dursleys' house.  
  
This year, however, everything was to change. Harry turned from the window, his green eyes shining with glee. Ron and Hermione were just about to finish a chess game, Ginny was writing something in a small notebook and the twins were whispering in the corridor. Harry smiled, lent his head on the window and sank into the dreams.  
  
Suddenly he felt somebody pulling his sleeve. He opened his eyes.  
  
'Harry, wake up ! Time to get out.'  
  
Hermione was standing near by, ready to go, carrying Crookshanks over her shoulder. Harry swiftly looked out of the window. The platform 9 and 3/4 were full of the people but Harry immediately recognised the red hair heads of the Weasley parents. He seized Hedwige's cage and followed Hermione.  
  
'Harry, I'm so glad to see you !' Molly Weasley gave him a hearty hug 'Are you all right ?'  
  
'Yeah, sure !' assured Harry.  
  
'Let's go then!' commanded Arthur Weasley enthusiastically.  
  
It took theme a few minutes to get out from the crowded platform. When they finally crossed the enchanted barrier they run just into Hermione's parents. Arthur couldn't deny himself a short chat with the real Muggles and only an ominous look of his wife forced him to say 'Good-bye'. He grabbed Ginny's trunk and moved towards the exit.  
  
Turning back to wave once more to Hermione, Harry noticed that Mrs Weasley was looking around watchfully and followed him very closely. Also Arthur, though trying to look airy, every now and than put his hand into the pocket and clasped it on the wand handle. Just near the glass-door he stopped and looked at his wife inquiringly. Molly was staring at the parking, evidently trying to find someone.  
  
'Where is Bill ?!' she snorted angrily 'He were to wait for us here !'  
  
'Oh, Billy has already come back?' Ginny asked joyfully 'He always used to arrive right before the Christmas.'  
  
A question hidden in those words remained unanswered. The Weasley focused all their attention on observing the people passing by. Harry sighed heavily. He knew perfectly well that he was the main object of their anxiety. For several months at Hogwart he managed to forget that the world outside the school could be nowadays very dangerous.  
  
Suddenly a blue Ford stopped just in front of the entrance to the station.  
  
'Finally !' called Mrs Weasley with relief.  
  
The car door opened and from the inside Bill Weasley jumped out, smiling broadly. He still wore a long pony-tail and a fang-shaped earring.  
  
'Hello !' he called cheerfully 'A limousine is waiting.'  
  
Molly snorted with fury.  
  
'Where have you been?!' she hissed 'You were to wait...'  
  
'Mum, calm down' said Billy hastily 'I just went to bring the car.'  
  
And he quickly started to throw whole luggage into the boot, escaping further reproaches. When everything had been successfully packed and Harry, Rom, Ginny, Fred and George crammed at the back seat of the car, Mrs Weasley looked at them with anxiety.  
  
'So, see you at the Burrow' she said in such a tone as if they were to fight a herd of the very hungry dragons on their way home.  
  
Ginny lent out of the window.  
  
'Mum, you're not going with us?' she asked with amazement.  
  
Mrs Weasley smiled.  
  
'No, dear. There is no more seats left inside. Anyway, I have to prepare supper.'  
  
Ron and Harry exchanged looks. They asked themselves the same question: so why Billy come to the station? Meanwhile, Arthur sat in the front seat. The engine barked and the Ford moved slowly forwards. Soon they were pushing themselves through the crowded streets of London. Now, when his wife didn't see him, Arthur could really enjoy driving a Muggle car.  
  
'Bill, will you stay for long?' asked Ginny.  
  
Bill hesitated and looked at his father inquiringly.  
  
'Tell them' said Arthur, staring with admiration at the red cabriolet passing by.  
  
Bill turned back and looked at them very proudly.  
  
'I joined the Aurors !' he said solemnly.  
  
The impression was really thunderous. Ginny clapped her hands, Ron moaned delightfully 'Wow...!'. To the contrary, George and Fred couldn't say a word and this was the best proof oh how much they were surprised.  
  
'So far it's just a training' explained Bill 'I've started only two weeks ago. This work for Gringotts was quite good but I left it at once when I heard Aurors were looking for the new adepts.'  
  
For the rest of the journey they questioned him about the Aurors schooling and soon a well-known shape of the Weasley house loomed from the darkness. Windows were twinkling with a warm, yellow light and Harry felt a sweet calm in his heart.  
  
A superb supper was already waiting in the dinning-room and soon Harry and all the Weasleys were sitting at the long table, chatting cheerfully and praising Mrs Weasley's kitchen.  
  
Molly put a third piece of an apple-pie on Harry's plate and looked at him warmly.  
  
'That's a pity you will not stay with us for the holidays' she sighed 'I know you want to see Sirius but...maybe would be better...'  
  
'Molly,' Arthur cut in 'Sirius is his godfather, the closest family except those Muggles. Anyway...' he cast Molly a swift glance 'He will be under a very good care.'  
  
Mrs Weasley nodded though she still looked unhappy. Arthur checked his watch.  
  
'Well, Harry, it's time to go. I arranged with Remus Lupin that we would send you at nine.'  
  
They gathered around the fireplace. Arthur reached for a flowerpot, full of the grey powder.  
  
'You will go without your luggage, Harry' said Mr Weasley 'Bill will Apparate at Remus and bring it all. Well, off you go' he opened the flowerpot.  
  
Harry took a pinch of powder and threw it into the fire. Flames rose higher, cold and green. Harry told 'good-bye' to everybody, stepped into to the fire and said clearly the name of the street. In a split second he was sucked in by a hissing whirl and after several seconds of spinning threw out on a stone floor.  
  
'Hello, Harry' said a warm, familiar voice 'Nice to see you again.'  
  
Harry opened his eyes. He was in a small, cosy room, feeling heat of the fire on his back. And beside, lent on an armchair, stood Remus Lupin smiling heartily.  
  
'Professor Lupin !' called Harry gleefully, leaping to his feet.  
  
'Please, call me Remus' said the wizard softly 'Now, when I'm not a teacher anymore, we can just be friends.'  
  
He waved his wand and the room brightened. Harry looked around. They were in a small study. There were rows of the high shelves along the wall, all crammed with a variety of books, and in front of the fireplace stood a low table, sofa and two armchairs. The furniture was old and shabby but kept perfectly clean. On the shelf of the hearth there were a picture of a witch and wizard, holding their hands and smiling to Harry.  
  
'My parents' explained Remus watching the photograph 'Both dead for years...' he added softly and a deep sadness filled his amber eyes.  
  
Harry felt a lump in his throat. How well he knows what Remus must feel. He also was left with only few pictures of his murdered parents.  
  
Steps sounded in the corridor and someone stood at the door. Harry moved his eyes from the photo.  
  
'Sirius !'  
  
The wizard smiled.  
  
'Hi, Harry. How was your journey? Bill has just brought your things' he pointed something in the hall 'Come, we take them to your room.'  
  
They climbed the wooden, creaking stairs up to the first floor. Sirius turned into a small corridor and opened the door on the left side.  
  
'Here is your room' he informed, turning the light on 'It's not a palace but I think you'll like it.'  
  
'It's great !' exclaimed Harry.  
  
Sirius smiled and looked at him attentively.  
  
'Listen, Harry, if you are not tired...' he hesitated 'I have a surprise for you.'  
  
They went down. In the study they could hear a murmur of a quite conversation. Harry thought that Bill must have decided to stay a bit longer. Sirius, however, didn't enter the room but stopped in the corridor and smiled mysteriously.  
  
'Harry' he said softly 'I'd like to...introduce you someone. You will be surprised...I've never told you, but...I have a sister.'  
  
Indeed, Harry was so astonished that for a moment he couldn't say a word. And then suddenly he realised that it had never come to his mind to ask an obvious, as it could seem, question: whether Sirius Black had any family ? And now the answer was waiting in the study, talking to Lupin.  
  
'I think you'll like her' muttered Sirius, letting him inside.  
  
Harry entered the room and stood motionless, totally bewildered. In the armchair near the fire was sitting Vega Starlight.  
  


* * * 

_(December 24th, 1995)_  
  
'Why didn't you tell me that professor Starlight is your sister?' asked Harry during the breakfast.  
  
They were alone. In the morning Remus received an urgent message from the Ministry of Magic and set off immediately. Vega, on the other hand, closed herself in the study and told not to disturb her.  
  
Sirius smiled apologetically.  
  
'Forgive me, Harry, but it didn't depend on me. Vega insisted on not telling you, at least at the beginning. She considered that if she was to teach in Hogwart, it would be better if you know her first as a teacher and not as a sister of your godfather. Maybe she was right...' he sighed, spreading jam over a toast.  
  
Harry nodded silently, wondering how to ask the next question.  
  
'And if you want to know, why I haven't told you before that I had a sister,' proceeded Sirius with a smile 'Well...First of all, in fact there was never opportunity...so many more important things happened. And secondly...after my escape from Azkaban I succeeded to dodge the Ministry guards for all year...anyway, you now this story pretty well. But then I had to disappear from England and we, mean me and Dumbledore, decided that I would go to Vega. She was abroad that time and only Dumbledore knew, where she actually dwelled. So I hid myself at her, that summer before the Triwizard Tournament.'  
  
'So that was where you sent me those small birds from?!' exclaimed Harry.  
  
Sirius nodded.  
  
'Yeah. And when I came back to England I preferred not to tell anybody, even you, where I had been. Just in case, you know... if I had to escape again. I hope you don't have grudge?'  
  
'No, surly not !' assured Harry heartily.  
  
Everything made clear. There was only one more question.  
  
'Listen...' began Harry dubiously 'I hope you don't mind if I ask...er...did professor Starlight also believe that you were the one who betrayed my parents? That was why she uses different surname?'  
  
Sirius shook his hand impetuously and strange sparks glittered in his dark eyes.  
  
'No, Harry' he said distinctly 'Vega has never believed that I sold Lily and James to Voldemort. She even...' he hesitated for a moment and proceeded in a low voice 'a year after my imprisonment she tried to break into Azkaban. Don't make it public,' he added hastily, looking sternly at Harry 'Vega had serious problems afterwards. If not Dumbledore and Moody, she would land in the jail, too. Anyway, she wanted to know what really had happened that night when your parents had been killed. Though all evidences were against me, Vega felt that this time the simplest explanation was not the correct one. And she was right...'  
  
He sighed, looking thoughtfully at the white fields outside the window. For a brief moment his dark eyes took again this mournful, gaunt look as if reflecting all despair of Azkaban. Sirius shuddered and stared at Harry.  
  
'And if it comes to her surname,' he said, smiling slightly 'she didn't change it. In fact, Vega is my cousin. Our mothers were twins, but we were always together, first leaving in the great house of our grandparents, then at school. She is as a real sister for me.'  
  
Harry smiled.  
  
'Now I understand what you meant telling you know her from Hogwart.'  
  
'That was what I could have told you.' said Sirius 'Vega, one year younger than me, was also one of the Marauders. Maybe not a full-time one,' he laughed 'but she usually preferred our company than this of her classmates. I remember our escapades during the full-moon,' he sighed dreamily 'Werewolf, dog, stag and a goshawk... It's not easy to transform yourself into a bird,' he informed Harry proudly 'but Vega was always very talented.'  
  
Harry was just about to ask: 'So it's because of you that she doesn't like Snape?' but in the last moment he remembered the grave tones in Sirius's voice when he asked him not to touch this subject. So he didn't say anything and drank a gulp of tea. Suddenly the door creaked in the corridor and as if she had felt they had been talking about her, Vega Starlight entered the kitchen. She was pale and looked very tired. She smiled to them slightly, took a jug of coffee and a pack of biscuits and disappeared in the study.  
  
'She has plenty of work,' explained Sirius when the door closed behind Vega 'We had hardly managed to convince her to spend the Christmas here. Remus had to use all his charm. But, of course, she brought a trunk full of books and papers. She says,' he whispered 'that the DADS still needs further improvement. And she doesn't like to leave it without her control.'  
  
'She doesn't trust Snape?' asked Harry before he could stop himself.  
  
Sirius laughed curtly, harshly, with an expression of the utmost dislike on his face.  
  
'And would you trust him?' he asked dryly looking at Harry 'You know him for several years...'  
  
The boy hesitated for a moment and slowly shook his head.  
  
'You see?' snorted Sirius with venomous satisfaction 'And Vega knows much more about him. And believe me, these are not nice memories...'  
  
A silence fell. The flames were crackling in the fireplace, an old clock was steadily counting seconds. Suddenly Sirius hit his forehead.  
  
'I've completely forgotten ! Harry,' he exclaimed, his eyes gleaming 'I have something for you. I couldn't wait to show you. Wait !'  
  
And he run out of the kitchen smiling mysteriously. No more than a minute passed when was back, carrying a large, brown volume. He put it on the table triumphantly.  
  
'Harry,' he said solemnly 'this is an album of the Potters' family.'  
  
Harry was looking with disbelief once at Sirius, once at the book. Slowly, his hand slightly trembling, he reached for the album and opened it. From the large picture on the first page Lily and James were waving at him, both wearing the traditional Hogwart robes.  
  
'The end of the seventh year' explained Sirius sitting near Harry.  
  
He was also watching the photograph with a deep grief and melancholy. He could still remember those happy days. They were so young, full of live, hopes and plans for the future. They believed that everything was still before them. Sirius sighed heavily.  
  
Harry turned the page. His mother was smiling brightly, showing a kicking baby in a white crawler. Harry felt his heart beating madly and he quickly lent his face on the shoulder for Sirius wouldn't see his tears.  
  
In the next pages were again his parents, alone or with small Harry. In on of the pictures Harry recognised himself, riding on the back of laughing Sirius.  
  
'Your first birthday...' said Black in a subdued voice.  
  
Harry was turning pages. From the next photograph a middle-aged woman smiled to him. He didn't know her.  
  
'Who is she?' he asked, looking at Sirius inquiringly.  
  
'Your grandmother, Eleonore, James's mother' explained Black 'A wonderful woman. Always cheerful and warm. She had died a year before you were born.'  
  
'And here?'  
  
Harry showed a tall, handsome man with short, black hair and elegant moustache. Dark eyes were staring proudly and a bit scoffingly. When he saw Harry he nodded indifferently and returned to reading.  
  
'Your grandfather' muttered Sirius, watching the picture unenthusiastically 'Perseus Potter.'  
  
'He doesn't look too friendly.' whispered Harry.  
  
'He was very strict and demanding' said Sirius 'and he usually didn't show his feelings. But he loved James very much. His death was a real shock. Your grandfather shrank into himself, didn't want to talk to anybody. After a year he suddenly sold the house and left to Latin America. And there were no more news o him.'  
  
'But it doesn't mean he is dead !' exclaimed Harry, jumping from his chair which hit the floor with a loud crash 'Maybe he just lives abroad... I must find him!' he called, ready to set off right now.  
  
Sirius shook his head sadly.  
  
'I don't think so, Harry ' he said softly 'I didn't tell you everything. Several months after your grandfather's disappearance Remus went to America to find him. Following his tracks, he got to a small village in the Amazonian jungle. Its inhabitants told him incredible stories about a powerful shaman who appeared one day in their village. He made miracles, cured the seriously ills, caused rains. Remus had no doubt that they were talking about the wizard. One day the shaman disappeared, leaving only a small box. Inside Remus found a letter and a broken wand of Perseus Potter.'  
  
'What was in that letter?' asked Harry dully.  
  
Sirius sighed and look at him sympathetically.  
  
'A farewell.'  
  
For several minutes they were sitting in silence. Finally Harry sighed and stared at the picture again.  
  
'Where did you get this album from?' he asked.  
  
'Vega gave it to me' said Sirius 'She found it in the ruins of your house, a few days after your parents death, and kept it for you for all those years.'  
  
Harry closed the album. Only now he noticed that a leather cover was set with tiny, silver chips forming a title :'The Potters'. He stroked it with affection as the most precious treasure.  
  
A soft 'pop' sounded and Remus Lupin Apparated in the kitchen. His amber eyes were shining. 'And, how was it?' asked Sirius with curiosity.  
  
Remus smiled broadly.  
  
'Just perfect !' he said beaming 'From the beginning of January I start working in the Department of Teleprtation.'  
  
'That's great !' exclaimed Harry and Sirius together.  
  
Remus took of his cloak and hung it on the back of the chair. He took the kettle from the fire and sat at the table.  
  
'Guess who I met in the Ministry' he said, pouring out a tea 'This Magnus Devilson from Norwegian Department. He was going to Hogwart. Had a parcel for Hagrid.'  
  
Harry and Sirius exchanged astonished glances. Harry didn't know why, but a very mention of Magnus made him always a bit uneasy. Sirius seemed to change his anxiety.  
  
'I don't like Devilson in Hogwart' he growled 'There is something strange in him... I don't know...' he rubbed his chin 'Let's better tell Vega.'  



	9. Shadow of the past

9. Shadow of the past   
  
Harry couldn't sleep. He tossed in his bed and still saw the faces of his relatives under his eyelids. Finally he turned on the light and for the fifth time this day he reached for the album. And once again his parents were waving at him but Persesus Potter didn't even rise his head.  
  
Harry felt hungry. He got up and silently, not to wake up Hedwig which was sleeping on a perch with head under her wing, he left the room. The corridor was plunged in darkness but somewhere at the ground floor a faint light was visible. Harry thought that obviously Vega was still working and he started to walk down carefully not to make noise. In the kitchen he took a piece of cake and a jug of milk from the table and was about to come back to his room, when he noticed that the study door were slightly opened and the voices of two people could be heard inside.  
  
Harry hesitated but curiosity was too strong. Creeping on his tiptoes he approached the door and through a narrow gap peeped into the room. Near the dimmed fireplace he saw the outlines of two persons.  
  
'Vega, you can't still ponder over the past...' somebody said gently.  
  
Harry recognised Remus's voice. The Auror moved passionately.  
  
'You want me to forget?' she asked sneeringly 'To pretend that nothing happened and Severus Snape has never been a Death Eater?'  
  
'You don't have to forget in order to forgive' said Remus softly.  
  
'Yes, you have,' snarled Vega 'The memory is like an open sore.'  
  
In every overheard word Harry felt more awkwardly. He realised that he was a witness of a very private conversation and though he was dying to know what Snape's sins were, he wouldn't feel comfortable if he would hear it spying. But he couldn't withdraw now. In the deep silence every movement would disclosed his presence.  
  
Remus looked at Vega.  
  
'You were so close to each other...' he said gently 'Don't ruin this. Everybody can make a mistake. And deserves to be given another chance.'  
  
'You talk like Dumbledore !' snorted Vega angrily 'He keeps repeating me to forgive Snape. But I can't...'  
  
'I forgave him...'  
  
Even in a dim light of the fireplace Vega's eyes shone like two stars.  
  
'So that means I also have to be so generous' she drawled icily 'Because forgave YOU, though they were YOUR parents?'  
  
Remus was silent. Vega took one step towards him.  
  
'And haven't you ever thought' she whispered with a hiss 'That after all it was easier for you? You don't remember this !' she shouted 'But me, every time I look at them,' she pointed desperately the picture on the shelf 'I see everything as clear as if it happened yesterday !'  
  
She turned impetuously towards the fireplace. Remus was watching her silently with a deep tenderness in his eyes. He silently approached the woman and embraced her.  
  
'Vega...' he whispered, stroking gently her dark hair 'Don't stifle it inside. It kills you. And I can't bear when you suffer.'  
  
One of the glowing logs cracked loudly. Harry immediately leapt to his feet and run towards the stairs. He was listening for a moment but the house was silent. He heaved a sigh of relief and carefully climbed the stars, turned left and came up against Sirius, who hardly dropped a thin sheaf of papers.  
  
'Harry!' Black sounded surprised 'What are you doing here? Can't sleep?'  
  
'Yeah...' muttered Harry, glad that in the darkness Sirius cannot see his confused face 'I felt hungry and went to get some food' he showed a bit crushed piece of cake.  
  
Sirius pat on his shoulder.  
  
'So, good appetite! And good-night.' he said briskly and disappeared behind the door of his room.  
  


. . .

  
Vega stood near the window, looking with unseeing eyes at the inky black sky. She could still hear Remus's words :'You loved him...' She sat on a broad parapet and reclined her head on the window. The wind was tossing steadily the branches of a high tree. Vega stared at the waving leaves and not knowing when she fell asleep.  
  
_ ***(July 25th, 1980)  
  
The fire in the hearth hissed and the bright flames raised higher. Vega took her eyes off a large, black covered volume 'The Dark Arts - how to defend yourself' and jumped up to her feet. From the midst of the flame stared at her bright, cold eyes of Lucius Malfoy, his face twisted in a cruel smile.  
  
'Starlight,' he hissed 'If I were you I wouldn't sit so quietly over the Auror's handbook.'  
  
'What ?!'  
  
'The werewolf hunting is about to begin!' laughed shrilly the head in the fire.  
  
'Malfoy, you bloody Death Eater!' yelled Vega, lunging forward but Malfoy's head disappeared.  
  
Vega was staring at the flames, dozens of thought whirling in her head.  
  
'Werewolf hunting?' she thought feverishly 'What was he talking...'  
  
Suddenly she turned pale and her eyes widened. She stood horror-struck. The fool-moon was looking through an enchanted window of her room in the Ministry of Magic.  
  
'Remus...' she whispered, clenching fits on the ridge of the table 'They want to kill Remus !'  
  
She rushed out of the room, run fifty meters and without knocking she pressed a handle of a door, on which silver letters reads:' Sigismund Lupin, Auror. Adepts training.' But the door was closed. Vega kicked the wall with a helpless fury.  
  
'He has already gone ! The Death Eaters will get them all. I must go there !'  
  
She realised she had left her wand on the table. She ran back. It flashed through her mind to let know to Sirius and James but there was no time. She grabbed her wand, muttered the incantation and Disapparated.  
  


. . .

  
_ _A large, greenish skull was gloating over the Lupins' house. The Dark Mark, the sign of death. Everything around was very silent.  
  
'To late!' thought Vega in horror, running across the garden.  
  
In the pale moonlight the exotic trees and bushes, pride of Asalia Lupin, looked like some crouched, lurking creatures with long, trembling tentacles. One of the trees, right under the wall, looked like a tall, hooded figure.  
  
'Stupefy!'  
  
In the gloomy silence the cry sounded like a gun-shot. Vega ducked, the spell whizzed over her head and hit the wall. She noticed a movement near the house door and aimed into that direction, screaming: 'Glans igneus!' A fiery ball shot from the wand tip, somebody howled in pain.  
  
'I've got you!' hissed Vega with satisfaction, raising carefully from the ground.  
  
She ran quickly towards the house. The lying man wore a mask which now became turning red around the mouth. He clenched his still hands on a deep, bleeding wound on his chest.  
  
'One Death Eater less.' snorted Vega.  
  
She approached the door carefully and pushed it. It opened. The corridor was plunged in darkness and the only ray of light came from the dinning-room in the end of the hall. Stealing up like a cat Vega reached the second door. She peered inside and shuddered. Five Death eaters stood in a half-circle. In front of them Sigismund Lupin knelt, his robs torn and blood-stained, his head nearly touching the floor. Over the wall laid a slaughtered body of his wife.  
  
Vega felt she was shaking and her despair turned into a wild rage and greed of killing. Without thinking she blew into the room, yelling 'Avada Kedavra!' and pointing at the nearest Death Eater. At the same moment a cold, shrilled voice cried: 'Expelliarmus!' and the wand escaped from Vega's hand. Before she could turn around the other voice, sneering and triumphant, drawled: 'Crucio' and in a second Vega felt only pain, shooting and excruciating the whole body. She fell on the floor, writhing in agony and clenching teeth for not to scream. Suddenly the man who tore her wand said sharply: 'Enough!' and the pain ceased. Vega heard the steps, somebody leant over her, grabbed her robes and lifted her up. She looked straight into the icy, cruel, red eyes of Lord Voldemort.  
  
'You didn't disappoint me' he said softly and an ironic smile twisted his lips 'As I had been expecting, you arrived to save your friend. Very nobly !' he cackled 'I decided to arrange this small meeting, because for a long time I was going to offer you something. You know what I mean...?' he asked silently.  
  
Vega's eyes darkened. She struggled and pulled her cloak out of the Voldemort's grip.  
  
'You want me to become a Death Eater' she hissed 'Yes, your servants have already proposed me this. Do you remember how did I answer ?'  
  
This time the Dark Lord's eyes flashed.  
  
'Oh, yes... But I'm very generous for you and renew my offer.'  
  
'I will never be a Death Eater!' yelled Vega 'Even if you have to kill me !'  
  
'Oh, don't hurry...' laughed Voldemort 'There will be always time for such a definitive solution but it would be a great shame to waste such a talent as yours. Yes, I've been watching you for some time: really impressing. You can be a very good witch. They make you an Auror, but your future is in my army. Join me and you will get the powers you have never dreamed about!' Vega laughed sneeringly.  
  
'Keep those fairy-tales for the fools who serve you' she drawled 'You will not buy me like this. I will never betray Dumbledore!' she cried and moved back under the wall.  
  
'Oh, never it's very, very long...' said Voldemort thoughtfully 'You shouldn't make such long-term promises. I'm sure that sooner or later I will convince you...'  
  
Suddenly a painful squeal was heard in the cellar, then the silence fell and footsteps sounded on the stairs. Vega was staring at the door, panting heavily. She knew what she would see in a moment. A masked man entered the room, dragging a tied body of a great wolf. He threw it at Voldemort's feet, looked and saw the witch standing near the wall. He stiffened for a moment but he controlled himself well. He turned back and joined the Death Eaters standing around Sigismund Lupin. Voldemort smiled savagely.  
  
'And here is your friend Remus' he said viciously, kicking the wolf.  
  
The beast whined. Vega gasped.  
  
'He is still alive, maybe not everything is lost...' she thought.  
  
Voldemort laughed coldly.  
  
'Of course he is alive' he said as if reading in Vega'a mind 'Dead would be completely useless.'  
  
Vega shook with rage, she was ready to kill Lord with bare hands.  
  
'What do you want ?!' she yelled.  
  
'Join me and you will save his live' said Voldemort coldly 'His and his father's.'  
  
Vega's eyes widened.  
  
'You can't!' she cried harshly 'You will not force me...'  
  
Voldemort was observing her with a cruel curiosity, his red eyes burning. Suddenly he smiled devilishly.  
  
'Of course not' he said and pointing at Sigismund he shouted 'Avada Kedavra!'  
  
The limp body fell on the ground. Vega suppressed a groan. The Dark Lord looked at her again.  
  
'Of course I didn't expect that I would force you to cooperation that way.' he said lazily 'There are better methods, the tested ones. I invited you here to put the Cruciatus Curse on you. Simple and effective. And all these' he waved his hand around indifferently 'Such a small entertainment for my Death Eaters.'  
  
Vega was watching as Voldemort rose his wand and she couldn't move.  
  
'It's over...' she thought feverishly 'He is too powerful I could fight against his curse. If he orders me to kill Dumbledore...'  
  
She felt helpless fury once more. The Dark Lord pointed his wand at the woman but suddenly, as if he had remembered something, he turned to the Death Eaters and spoke to the one who brought the werewolf.  
  
'Finish him!'  
  
The Death Eater stirred as if poured with icy water. Slowly, hesitating, he lifted his wand and pointed at Remus Lupin.  
  
'What are you waiting for ?!' Voldemort's eyes flashed dangerously 'I told you to kill him !'  
  
The Death Eater shuddered and grasped the wand harder. He was breathing heavily.  
  
'Avada...!' he shouted desperately but the further words stuck in his throat.  
  
At the sound of this voice Vega stirred and fixed her burning eyes at the wizard. This voice, this posture - that must have been him!  
  
'Snape, you bastard !!!' she shrieked and, overcome with rage, she sprang at the death Eater, knocking him down to the ground and strangling 'TRAITOR !!!' she howled 'I knew you betrayed us ! I'll KILL YOU!!!'  
  
Suddenly her frantic eyes rested at the wand lying on the floor. She grabbed it and pointed at the transfixed Voldmeort. At the same moment one of the Death Eaters cried: 'Avada Kedeavr!' The green light flashed. Shouted somebody else. Vega felt a powerful force casting her on the wall. Losing consciousness she heard people running and calling 'Aurors!' and then she fainted.***_  
  
Vega woke up bathed in cold sweat and looked around madly. The wind abated, the crescent of the moon was peering through the window. The fields, covered with snow, looked like a vast, silver lake.  
  
Vega lit the candle. From the trunk she pulled out a small box, touched the lock with her wand and muttered the incantation. The lid lifted with a silent grind. Inside there was a black plate the size of a chocolate bar. Hundreds of subtle, glittering lines of different colours and intensities crossed on its lustrous surface. The witch put the plate on the table and began to study the colourful tangle.  
  
She was also disturbed by the news that Magnus Devilson visited Hogwart. 


	10. Attack

10. Attack    
  
_(January 10th, 1996)_  
  
Snape was furious. He prowled through the classroom with the air of an attacking hippogriff and if his black eyes had the basilisk's power of killing, half of the students would already lay dead on the stone floor of the dungeons.  
  
Neville was so nervous that by mistake he poured into the cauldron three drops of hemlock instead of belladonna brew. A thick liquid boiled and from above the bubbling surface a yellow stream of acrid smoke rose into the air. Snape run up to Neville's table with a devilish twinkle in his eyes, he called him a dull imbecile and threw him out of the classroom together with his fuming cauldron. This incident cost the Gryffindor twenty points.  
  
Even the Slytherins couldn't feel safe. Pansy Parkinson who was trying to provoke Hermione, pulling faces behind her back, suddenly stood petrified with opened mouth and growing horror in her eyes, when Snape appeared noiselessly near her desk and said in an icy voice that HIS lessons are note the time to present poor actor's talents. And, to everybody's surprise, he took five points from Slytherin.  
  
Harry hid himself in the furthest corner of the classroom, trying to be invisible. He felt that today not much would be needed for Snape to wreak his range on him. Therefore, Harry concentrated hard on his potion, determined not to give Snape any reason to punish him.  
  
There were ten minutes left to the end of the lesson. Harry's mixture looked perfect, dark-green, consistency of a melted chocolate. Even Hermione watched Harry's cauldron with an envious admiration. In her own brew there were still tiny, black lumps.  
  
Snape was walking among the tables, making vicious remarks upon his students' achievements. Only at Malfoy's desk he said nothing but he stared at his potion with so nasty grimace, that satisfied smile faded from Draco's face.  
  
Harry was watching as Snape came closer and closer. The Potion Master had just expressed his surprise of the fact how could Parvati reach the fifth year making such cardinal mistakes in measuring of liquid, and he turned his cold gaze at rigid Harry. Snape's eyes flashed murderously and his lips curled in a nasty smile.  
  
'Potter...' he drawled, looking at the boy piercingly 'Let's see how our hero coped with the task'  
  
He walked around the table and peered into the Harry's cauldron. The fury on his face intensified. He was staring at the mixture as if he wanted to split it into the single atoms in order to find any defects. Harry and Ron exchanged significant glances.  
  
Finally Snape took his eyes from the cauldron, face twisted in the expression of a helpless rage. He turned round without a word and was about to walk away, when a diabolic idea entered his head. He moved back, smiling sneeringly.  
  
'Granger!' he snarled through the clenched teeth, not looking at Hermione but at Harry 'How may times will I have to tell you not to help Potter in my class?'  
  
Hermione stood aghast.  
  
'But...I...' she began.  
  
'No excuses!' yelled Snape 'Twenty points from Gryffindor! And if it ever happens again, you will be expelled.'  
  
'But...but...' Hermione was repeating mechanically.  
  
Harry felt overcome with a tearing rage.  
  
'You have no right !' he shouted before he could realise what he was doing 'She didn't help me ! I made this potion myself ! And you just cannot bear it !'  
  
Snape's eyes flashed but he looked almost glad that finally Harry gave him a reason.  
  
'Potter' he said icily 'Your behaviour is again blameworthy. The fame turned your head. But I will not tolerate this. Fifty points !' he hissed 'And I'm going to inform the Headmaster immediately.'  
  
Harry was shaking. He was just about to open his mouth to revile Snape as never before when the bell rang. The students moved restlessly. Harry came to his senses and didn't say anything. Snape looked at him once more with hatred, turned round and left the classroom.  


. . .

  
Professor Grubbly-Plank put a big volume of '_Bestiarium_' on the table and looked at the students.  
  
'Today I'm going to tell you about the most powerful magical creatures on the Earth,' she began in a shrill voice.  
  
Harry, as most of his classmates, looked really fascinated. Lessons with professor Grubbly-Plank were always very interested and Harry had to admit, in spite of a deep feeling of guilty, that he prefers them much more than classes of Hagrid. With this last for two months they've been trying to breed gargoyles but though they had done everything to secure for the eggs the optimal conditions of incubation (they had built a real stone cave for them), the rocks still didn't give any sign of life. Ron began to suspect that Devilson had sneered at Hagrid, supplying him with the common stones.  
  
But now the Keeper of the Keys has left again with his mysterious mission and professor Grubbly-Plank replaced him. She put straight her glasses and continued the lecture.  
  
'Each of the creatures I'm talking about is connected with on of the elements.'  
  
She waved her wand and four colour symbols appeared on the blackboard.  
  
'Fire means Phoenix' said the witch and a small winged figure materialised near the sign of the fire 'Air means Dragon, earth is connected with Behemot and water with Hydra.'  
  
Everybody was noting eagerly.  
  
'The most well known and common elemental animal is, of course, the dragon' continued Grubbly-Plank 'It shows the perfect capability of adaptation to the most extreme climatic conditions and can be found at every longitude, from the hot, tropical jungles to the ice-covered regions of Arctic.'  
  
She pointed at a large globe and the small, red dots shone on each continent.  
  
'These are dragon seats' explained the witch 'For the breeding ground they usually choose places with a good view on the surroundings: mountain peaks, solitary rocks, and in the case of the forest species - tops of the highest trees. The cubs hatch already with claws and sharp teeth and even they can be really dangerous.'  
  
Harry and Ron looked at each other and smiled. They could still remember Norbert, a baby-dragon bred by Hagrid.  
  
'The dragons are very resistant to magic' said Grubbly-Plank 'and it's not easy to defeat them by means of magic. On the other hand, dragon blood and gall are the components of many powerful potions and the dragon skin is commonly considered to be the best stuff for the protective gloves and shoes. No wonder' she sighed heavily 'that poaching became a real scourge. Many species have been completely destroyed.'  
  
Parvati and Lavender was staring at the witch with open mouths. They could listen for hours her tales about the magical creatures instead of sitting at the boring (in their opinion) lessons of Transfiguration.  
  
Professor Grubbly-Plank opened '_Bestiarium_' and showed an illustration of a strange, long hair beast. It has a large head, small, wide eyes, and thick row of the long teeth stuck out from its mouth. It stood at its hind legs, the front paws, armed in three long, strong and sharp claws, brandishing threateningly in the air. There were no doubts that the creature was ready to mangle everything what would get into its reach.  
  
'This is a behemot' said the witch touching the picture with her wand.  
  
The beast roared in an eerie voice, which made the window-panes shaking and the students trembling. The witch closed the book hastily.  
  
'Behemots are amazing creatures' she said with a deep conviction 'And very dangerous. According to the experts, there are no more dangerous animals. One hit of the behemot's paw can knock down an elephant. Its roar destroys the thickest wall. They are also totally resistant to magic, all curses and spells just reflect from them without making any harm. Behemot won't be killed even by _Avada Kedavra_'.  
  
There was a murmur of the astonished whispers. Professor Grubbly-Plank smiled slightly, satisfied with the effect.  
  
'Till today we don't know what gives behemots such a perfect resistance' she continued 'Many people believed that the answer was in the coat. Now we know it wasn't true but the faith lingered for centuries and led to an almost complete extermination of the behemots. No wonder,' she smiled gloomily 'Who wouldn't like to find a protection against the Killing Curse...'  
  
Harry had an unpleasant feeling that everybody looked at him. Pretending not to notice anything he started to examine with a great interest the pictures on the blackboard.  
  
Professor Grubbly-Plank put her glasses straight.  
  
'As I said, the behemots have almost completely died out. Ironically, the poachers used the common, Muggle methods of hunting. Cruel and barbarous...' she shook her head with a heavy sigh 'Today exists only one colony of those creatures, comprising of thirteen adult animals and of three cubs. It's there' she pointed at the globe 'in Tibet.'  
  
A single yellow dot shone on the map.  
  
'The behemots like vast regions, desert or rocky' said the witch 'And not too hot. That was why they used to live in the far north or at the high, mountain plateau. The cold doesn't disturb them. They have a very thick fur, dark-brown when they are young, becoming brighter when they grew up. An adult behemot, as the one on the picture, is silver-grey and can reach three meters in height when standing on its hind legs.'  
  
Parvati rose the hand.  
  
'Yes, Miss Patil?' asked Grubbly-Planck.  
  
'Professor, is it possible to...er...make friend with a behemot?'  
  
The old witch looked at her with a hearty smile.  
  
'Well, my dear, to tell you the truth, they are not the best candidates for pets. Behemots don't like the strangers and it's very difficult to tame them. They are too wild and independent. Sometimes, when they trust somebody, they can allow him to spend some time on their territory. But they will never serve the human. And when they get angry,' she paused significantly 'they get completely mad. And then nothing can stop them.'  
  
Parvati looked truly disappointed. She whispered something to Lavender, they shook their heads. Professor Grubbly-Plank opened '_Bestiarium_' again and showed another picture.  
  
'And this is a creature of water' she said 'A hydra'.  
  
A great, lizard-like, three-headed beast winked at the class from the photograph. It had three long, slender necks, four short paws and a thick tail. It was covered with tiny, green scales. 'The most dangerous part of hydra is its fangs' said Grubbly-Plank, carefully touching the picture with the wand tip.  
  
Three mouths opened in a voiceless roar, revealing a straight row of the small, sharp teeth. 'Hydras are very poisonous' proceeded the witch 'Even one bite is mortal. The venom acts immediately and there is no antidote. But in spite of that many witches and wizards are still hunting hydras. Does anybody know why?'  
  
Hermione's hand shot in the air. Grubbly-Plank smiled inquiringly.  
  
'The venom of hydra, used in a proper quantity and in a precise way, is the most important component of the _Vivimortis_ Potion' said Hermione.  
  
The witch nodded.  
  
'Exactly. It's really amazing but one of the most dangerous poisons is used in the most powerful antidote. The paths of the nature are really tangled...' she sighed philosophically. The bell rang. Professor-Grubbly plank closed the '_Bestiarium_'  
  
'Next time we are going to talk about the phoenixes, so I advice you to examine the chapter seven from the book.' she said.  
  


. . .

  
Harry swallowed the last bit of an apple pie and grabbed his bag.  
  
'Hurry up!' he urged on Ron, who was just about to help himself with another portion of the desert 'The Defence starts in five minutes.'  
  
'Coming...' mumbled Ron with full mouths, choking 'When do think she will show us some Attack Spells?' he asked when they were running along the corridor.  
  
Ron seemed to expect that Harry would give him a quick and precise answer. Since the moment he knew that professor Starlight is Sirius's sister he has started to believe that Harry is thoroughly informed about the Auror's plans. But her attitude to Harry didn't change at all. She still treated him as the rest of the students: kindly but whit no favouritism. And Harry was very grateful for that.  
  
They had hardly reached the classroom when professor Starlight appeared. The silence fell immediately.  
  
'How are you getting along with the Cover of the first level?' asked Vega 'Have you been practising during the holidays?'  
  
Everybody nodded eagerly. Even the laziest students applied themselves honestly to learning of the Defensive Spells. As for now, most of the students succeeded in the easiest Dispersing Spell but still only two persons were able to generate something what looked like a protective cover used by Snape in the duel. Nobody was surprised that one of those lucky was Hermione. But the second one, to common disbelief, was Neville who unexpectedly discovered in himself a real talent to the Defensive Spells. It made Draco Malfoy sick with anger since his own achievements in that field were rather mean.  
  
Professor Starlight kept assuring the students that they are still doing pretty well with those difficult spells that had never been taught in Hogwart before. And she kept repeating that the only way to mater them was to practise systematically. No wonder that most of the fifth-year trained at least half an hour a day.  
  
Vega sat at the desk and pull out the wand.  
  
'Today we are going to summarise our knowledge about the Defensive Spells' she said 'They are divided into three groups,' she waved her wand and twinkling words materialised in the air 'These are Protecting Spells, Deflecting Spells and Destroying Spells. In the first group we distinguish two main categories: Covers and Shield. Who can explain how the Covers work?'  
  
The forest of hands rose over the heads of the students. Vega pointed at Neville.  
  
'So...' he started, blushing as usual 'Cover stops the curse but doesn't defect it. And is invisible.'  
  
'Good!' nodded Vega 'And incantation?'  
  
'_Defensio_' said Neville without thinking.  
  
'Of course, five points for Gryffindor' said Vega.  
  
She waved lazily her wand and the name of the spell appeared in a proper column.  
  
'Now the Shields' Vega looked at the class inquiringly.  
  
And once more dozens of hand were in the air.  
  
'Pansy?'  
  
Pansy Parkinson stood up, smiling coaxingly.  
  
'The Shield deflects the enemy curse' she recited 'just contrary to the Cover. It looks like a transparent wall. And incantation is: _Protectio_.'  
  
'Five points for Slytherins' smiled Vega 'Keep learning so hard and most of you will have a chance for schooling in the Aurors' squads.'  
  
There was an excited murmur in the classroom.  
  
'And coming back to the subject' proceeded Vega 'As you should now, the Shields mentioned by Pansy protect the whole wizard. But there are also such Shields that protect only the chosen parts of the body. They are quite useful since they need considerably less energy and can be used simultaneously with the other curses, usually the offensive ones. We are not going to give much attention to that sort of the Shields. For the ones who are interested, an incantation is: _Scitum_.'  
  
There was nobody who wouldn't write it down. Vega waved her wand, lighting the headline of the second column.  
  
'Now the Destroying Spells' she said 'The name is slightly confusing since it can suggest these are offensive spells. Therefore you should remember that the spells from that group destroys only the enemy curses. We divide them into the Dissipating and Neutralising spells. You already know an example of the first class and you can perform it. Who will recall its properties? Draco?'  
  
Malfoy got up slowly and somehow heavily. He was very pale today but his eyes were gleaming. In his left palm he was squeezing, obviously unawares, a piece of paper.  
  
'Incantation: _Dissipio_' he said 'It scatters the power of the curse, breaking it into hundreds of bits. It's considered being the easiest Defensive Spell.'  
  
'Perfect! Five points for Gryffindor' approved Vega, looking intently at Malfoy.  
  
Draco grinned viciously at Harry and sat sown. Slytherins exchanged satisfied glances. For the first time they got more points than the Gryffindors during the DADA lesson. Vega took her piercing eyes off Malfoy's face and turned to the class.  
  
'So we know what it means to dissipate the curse,' she said 'The Neutralising Spells act in a different way. This time the enemy curse is neither deflected nor reduced but completely absorbed by the wand tip. Let's see how it works in practice. Hermione,' she turned to the Prefect 'could you cast the Stunning Spell on me?'  
  
Hermione leapt to her feet, proud that professor Starlight asked her to assist. She raised the wand and on Vega's sign she shouted: '_Stupefy_!'. The Auror made a small circle with her wand and cried: '_Cancellio_!'. The wand tip popped silently and flashed brightly. Hermione's curse disappeared.  
  
'Thank you. Did everybody see?' Vega looked around 'This is a neutralisation. The enemy curse is absorbed by our wand. It is not easy, however,' she added 'and takes a lot of energy. That's way the Neutralising spells are the most difficult ones and many wizards fail to master them. We are not going to study them here.'  
  
'Pity...' sighed Hermione.  
  
Ron looked at her sourly.  
  
'Now I'm going to discuss the third group of the Defensive Spells, the Deflecting ones. They are something new for you. We divide them into two categories, according to the deflection angle. The Mirror Spells reflect precisely in the direction of an attacking person. Well used they are a very powerful and dangerous weapon because allow to use against the enemy his own power. Incantation is: _Reflectio_'.  
  
Ron looked at Malfoy with a nasty twinkle in his eyes and smiled dreamily. Harry correctly guessed his thoughts. He also would like to master a spell that would reflect towards Darco his hexes and jinxes.  
  
'The second class is the Repelling Spells' said Vega 'In that case the attack is deflected by the wand like a missile, at an accidental angle. These spells are not so effective like the Mirror ones, but much easier to learn. Next month you will start to study them. And now the incantation: _Repelio_.'  
  
In the last empty section a bright inscription shone. Vega stood up.  
  
'And that is all as for the Defensive Spells' she said lightly 'Of course, in every group there are spells of the different levels of power and difficulty. They differ in the hand movements but those differences are usually very slight. That's way you have to pay special attention to the precision of the performance.'  
  
The bell rang. Harry packed his things and together with Ron he moved towards the door.  
  
Hermione was already crowding in the group of the students who surrounded professor Starlight storming her with the questions.  
  
'Easy, easy. You will know everything soon.'  
  
Vega decidedly cut all the attempts of getting out of her the information about casting of the Deflecting Spells. Students started to leave the classroom. Harry and Ron were waiting for Hermione near the door. Draco loitered at his desk, pushing book to his bag, completely absent-mined. Vega waved her wand and the shining table, hovering over the teacher desk, disappeared. And in the same moment a shrill, high voice screamed:  
  
'_AVADA KEDAVRA_ !'  
  
A green jet of light shot towards Vega. The Auror turned back in a flash, raising her wand and making a complicated movement. But the incantation froze on her lips.  
  
In the middle of the classroom stood Draco Malfoy. He was ghastly pale and his mad eyes were shining feverishly. A swishing breath was coming through the clenched teeth, spit was dripping from the mouth corners. He had his wand pointing at Vega.  
  
It took no more than two seconds but Harry remembered every detail as if he was watching a slow-motion film. He saw the green ray run towards the witch who was staying motionless, her wand still risen. Somebody cried hysterically. And suddenly Vega sprang aside with an incredible speed. The curse rubbed against her right shoulder, burning a hole in a sleeve, and hit the blackboard with a loud crash.  
  
'_Stupefy_!' had cried the Auror before the green sparks settled.  
  
Draco fell on the floor.  
  
There was a deathly silence. Nobody dared to move. Harry felt that his nails were hurting, stuck in the wooden embrasure of the door. He relaxed the grip and fixed his eyes at the teacher.  
  
Vega was very pale and was panting heavily. She seized her right shoulder convulsively, the wand slipped from her torpid hand and fell on the floor.  
  
'P...professor...' stuttered Hermione in a strange voice.  
  
Vega shuddered as if she has just realised that there was somebody else in the classroom. She looked at Hermione. Her eyes were cold and dark. It was clear she was making a terrific effort to overcome the pain and emotions. She knew she had to resist. The students were already enough scared.  
  
'Call professor Snape,' she said harshly in a dreadfully calm voice.  
  
Hermione hesitated.  
  
'Professor Snape?' she repeated uncertainly 'Maybe I would better call...'  
  
'Go !!!' yelled Vega imperatively.  
  
Hermione jumped and hastily dashed out the classroom. The Auror looked at Harry.  
  
'Go to the owlery and send a message to the Headmaster' she said assertively 'Take my owl, it will know were look for him.'  
  
Harry nodded and he was out. He was running through the corridors as if chased by a herd of hungry harpies. He would give everything for Dumbledore was in Hogwart now. He felt that what had just happened was not a stupid joke. He suspected it was something much worse.  
  
'Go out of the classroom' commanded Vega and lent heavily on the desk.  
  
Without a word, anxiously looking back, Gryffindors and Slytherins left the class. Hardly the door had closed behind the last one, Vega moaned and slumped to her knees. With a trembling hand she reached for a small, black bottle hanging on a chain under her robes. She pulled out the plug with her teeth and drunk all the content at one gulp. Immediately she felt paralysing pain in her right arm. She lent against the closest table and closed the eyes.  
  
Meanwhile, Hermione run down the marble stairs, rushed into the corridor that led to the dungeons and after a while stopped, painting, in front of the Potions classroom. Without losing time for knocking she opened the door vigorously.  
  
Snape was alone, sitting at his desk and examining, one by one, mixtures made by the students. He looked at Hermione with mingled disbelief and anger. His black eyes glinted dangerously.  
  
'Granger,' he drawled icily 'What does it...'  
  
But Hermione interrupted without ceremony.  
  
'Professor, quickly...you must go...with me!' she gasped out, breathing heavily.  
  
Snape was left speechless. He was staring at Hermione as if he wanted to murder her, his pale face twisted in an expression of fury. He stood up slowly, black eyes burning.  
  
'Granger!' he whispered ominously 'This time it's too much. I will not tolerate...'  
  
Hermione shook her head and started waving her hands.  
  
'No, sir, quickly!' she panted 'Malfoy...the Killing Curse...professor Starlight!'  
  
Snape stiffened. For several seconds he was staring at Hermione trying the read from her face what all those disconnected words meant. And suddenly he understood. He turned pale and run out the office. At the third floor he pushed aside the fifth-years, who was still standing at the corridor watching fearfully the door of the Defence classroom, and he dashed inside.  
  
Vega was lying on the floor, curled up, shivering. Severus ran up to her.  
  
'Vega!' he shouted shaking the witch 'What happened?!'  
  
The Auror opened her eyes and looked at Snape with relief.  
  
'Finally...' she whispered with effort, her teeth chattered 'Listen, it's very important...'  
  
She crouched in the next attack of the pain. Snape was watching her with more and more anxiety. Suddenly he saw a bleeding wound on her shoulder.  
  
'It was _Avada_...' he said dully, touching carefully the wound.  
  
'It's only a scratch' Vega mumbled 'I will be all right... That damned potions made me fell so badly...'  
  
Her eyes rested at the small bottle. Snape took a deep breath, like of relief. Vega clenched her teeth and stifled a moan. Her pale face twisted in pain.  
  
'Listen to me...' she said feebly, looking at Snape with more and more dim eyes 'I will faint in a moment...and this is very important...' she was panting with effort 'Nobody can leave Hogwart. And nobody can be let in. Understand? Nobody,' she whispered emphatically, clenching fingers on the Snape's arm. 'Block the door of my office. And tell Dumbledore...,' she shivered much stronger 'that somebody overcame the defence system...There is a traitor among us...' she finished in a hardly audible whisper and fainted.  



	11. Beastmaster

11. Beastmaster   
  
Albus Dumbledore came back to Hogwart the same evening and at once he hurried to the hospital wing. Vega was still unconscious but she was breathing steadily and the wound on her arm had scabbed.  
  
'She will be fine, Headmaster' informed him Madam Pomfrey, still slightly paler than usual 'It was only a scratch but the curse was extremely powerful. Luckily, Vega drank _Vivimortis_ at once. But if the curse had hit several centimetres further, nothing would save her...' she shook her head with a heavy sigh.  
  
Dumbledore was looking at Vega silently. His bright eyes were full of a deep concern. He also looked tired and depressed.  
  
'It's still hard to believe that it happened in our school,' said softly Madam Pomfrey, wiping her eyes with a handkerchief 'Student attacked the teacher...with the Killing Curse!' her voice broke off, she whimpered 'How this boy could do that?!' she pointed at something in the other part of the room.  
  
Several beds farther Draco Malfoy was laying motionless. According to Snape's order the Stunning Spell hadn't been lifted. Dumbledore was looking at him thoughtfully.  
  
'I can think of only one explanation, Poppy' he said softly 'But I'm afraid you will not like it...'  
  


* * * 

_(January 11th, 1996)_  
  
Vega woke up about the noon. Apart from a slight stiffness in her right arm she felt quite well. She got up and, ignoring a reproachful look on the Madam Pomfrey's face, she left the room.  
  
The castle was quiet and deserted. At first it surprised her a bit but then she remembered that this day the first winter match of Quidditch in the school history was going to take place. It explained why on the way to the Dumbledore's office she didn't met any student.  
  
She stopped near the stone gargoyle and said the password. The sculpture moved aside with a silent grind, revealing the entrance to the long, winding stairs. Vega climbed up hastily and knocked the door.  
  
'Come in,' the voice of Dumbledore came.  
  
The witch entered the office. She wasn't surprised when she saw Snape, sitting in the armchair by the large desk.  
  
'Vega!' Dumbledore sprang to his feet 'What are you doing here ?! You should be in the hospital wing.'  
  
I'm fine' she said impatiently 'Beside, we don't have time. I'm sure you already know what happened yesterday?'  
  
She cast a fleeting glance at silent Snape. Dumbledore nodded.  
  
'Yes, Severus told me everything. I also inquired some students. Vega,' he came near the Auror and looked at her with a concern 'I don't dare to think how it could have finished. It's a miracle you are alive.'  
  
Vega laughed gloomily, steel twinkles in her eyes.  
  
'It's a miracle that young Malfoy is alive,' she said harshly 'When I heard the incantation I reacted spontaneously and if I hadn't restrained myself in the last moment...' she shook her head as if driving away some dark visions 'I could have killed him...' she whispered.  
  
Snape stirred. His black eyes expressed first surprise, then disbelief. He was staring intently at Vega as if he wanted to read all thoughts from her face.  
  
Dumbledore sighed and nodded.  
  
'I suppose we all realise,' he said in a weary voice 'that the boy didn't invent it himself.'  
  
'Of course!' snorted Vega angrily 'But even if somebody had put the idea into his head, Malfoy wouldn't be able to cast _Avada Kedavra_ on his own. He could perform it only under the Imperius Curse, controlled by a powerful wizard.'  
  
'Lucius...?' asked Snape doubtfully.  
  
'No,' Vega laughed nastily 'somebody much more powerful. The curse must have been cast during the holidays and we didn't notice anything for the whole week. And it's not easy and requires a great power. I think,' she looked piercingly at Dumbledore 'the Draco has been controlled by Voldemort himself.'  
  
The silence fell. The Headmaster started to pace along the desk, rubbing his forehead thoughtfully.  
  
'I'm afraid you're right,' he said finally stopping near the fireplace 'Severus warned us that He had asked about you and had been plotting something. Indeed,' he sighed 'he got a devilish idea. Only Voldemort could use a child in his plan.'  
  
'I'm sure Lucius Malfoy was also involved,' drawled Vega icily 'But I will be even with him yet...' grey eyes flashed vindictively 'However, that's not the most alarming point here' she stressed.   
  
Snape and Dumbledore looked at her, disturbed.  
  
'Do you understand what does it all mean?' Vega asked softly 'Draco casts the Killing Curse in the classroom. But the DADS doesn't allow to use any Dark Arts at Hogwart...'  
  
The wizard understood immediately.  
  
'Somebody has cheated the system,' said Snape slowly.  
  
Vega nodded glumly.  
  
'That's what it looks like,' she muttered 'As any system, this one also isn't completely safe. There is a way to go round the restrictions of the DADS. The enemy curse has to be cast by somebody who dwells at Hogwart. And that means a teacher...or a student.'  
  
She reached to her pocket and pulled out a black plate, lightened up by hundreds of the crossing lines.  
  
'This is a wizards' matrix,' she explained 'Every connection corresponds with a definite person inside the school grounds. The DADS automatically prevents from using the Dark Arts by somebody from the outside but in the case of the teachers and students it can be regulated. Sometimes it's necessary to use an advance dark curse and then I can temporarily cancel the restriction, totally or in part.'  
  
Severus was watching the black plate with a great interest.  
  
'Now I understand why we could use the Offensive Spells during the duel,' he muttered.  
  
Vega nodded. She pulled out her wand and brought it closer to the matrix. The colourful lines rose over the lustrous surface, forming a three-dimensional, shining gossamer. The witch separated a bright-green bunch and began to examine single fibres. Finally she found the one she was looking for. She waved her wand and the lines stuck to the matrix, except the one, oddly dark, which was still vibrating in the air.  
  
'Look,' Vega showed the fibre 'This is the line of Draco Malfoy. It should shine green, like the lines of the other Slytherins. But it has been disconnected. And it means that for the DADS Draco Malfoy doesn't exist. That is why the system didn't detect the Imperius Curse and the boy could perform _Avada Kedavra_.'  
  
Dumbledore nodded.  
  
'I see... I supposed that it's not easy to disconnect the line?' he asked, looking at Vega with a slight smile.  
  
The Auror gnashed her teeth.  
  
'Not necessarily,' she muttered 'If you know how to do that. A fibre can be inactivated in two ways, either on the matrix or directly in the system. The problem is that only I have authorisation to do that... or rather I had' she said mournfully.  
  
'What do you mean by authorisation?' Snape couldn't suppress curiosity.  
  
Vega hid the plate in her pocket.  
  
'To make any change on the matrix, one has to cast an activating spell,' she explained 'Unfortunately, it cannot be too advanced since it would disturb the connections. It means that all the Identifying Spells are excluded. So if the matrix got into the wrong hands it would be quite easy to use it. That's way I always have it with me. If necessary, I could destroy it immediately.'  
  
'And the other way?' asked Dumbledore.  
  
Vega scowled.  
  
'One can perform changes directly in the system' she said 'Of course, it must be done here, at Hogwart. And, the most importantly, one has to give around a dozen of the access codes. The trouble is they are too complicated to learn them by heart so I had to write them down...' she looked piercingly at Dumbledore 'I think somebody stole them.'  
  
The silence fell. Fawkes, dozing on his perch, opened one eye, looked around and fluttered its golden wings. One long feather fell slowly on the floor and dropped at the Severus's feet. The wizard followed it with his eyes, twinkling and full of hatred.  
  
'DEVILSON!' he hissed ominously.  
  
Vega looked at him attentively.  
  
'Magnus Devilson...' she repeated slowly, staring searchingly at Snape's face 'That's right, he was here during the holidays. But it's not the reason to accuse him.'  
  
Snape didn't say anything, his eyes fixed in the floor, but his lips curled in a nasty smile.  
  
'Vega is right, Severus,' said softly Dumbledore 'I believe you have reasons to suspect Magnus but I must admit,' he sighed 'that I don't understand it. He never had anything to do with Voldemort, hadn't he?'  
  
Snape began to laugh, coldly and mournfully. He slowly rose his head and looked at the Headmaster with the glowing eyes.  
  
'Devilson was a Death Eater!' he spat 'Then I knew him.'  
  
Dumbledore frowned. It was clear that Snape's words thrilled him.  
  
'Magnus was a Death Eeater...' he muttered 'I would never suspect...'  
  
Vega hit the table with her fist.  
  
'The next one who slipped away,' she snarled 'And surely not the last one. I'm afraid there will be many such the unpleasant surprises in the nearest future. Nevertheless,' she added lengthily, fixing eyes at Snape 'the fact that Devilson was a Death Eater doesn't mean he works for Voldemort again. People can change...can't they, Severus?' she smiled ironically.  
  
Snape didn't react. He approached the window and fixed his gaze on the grey sky, heavy with the clouds. His dark eyes were cold and glum. They expressed weariness and a sort of resignation.  
  
'I'll tell you an interesting story,' he began softly, his flat voice seemed to proceed from a deep abyss. 'One summer night, sixteen years ago, a group of the Death Eaters met at the yard of an abandoned house. There were seven of them, five men and two women. They sat at the feet of a wilted oak, somebody took out a beer. They were drinking as if it had been water. Only one of them, called a Beastmaster, didn't touch the alcohol. He knew that soon they would go to play in a different way. And he wanted to be sober. He claimed that only than he could feel fully the taste of death.'  
  
He stopped talking as if overwhelmed by the memories. He lent against the window and clenched his fist.  
  
'They Apparated in a small village in the southern England' said Snape in a emotionless voice 'Holidays, many people with children... Muggles. That was they were looking for. They came near the door of an old pension, situated in the forest, at the lake, a few kilometres from the village. Dogs started to bark but the Beastmaster spoke to them and they calmed down immediately. He had a rare gift for taming the creatures... In the pension lived several families and a group of children from London. The Death Eaters were delighted. They were running through the corridors, laughing and calling in the hoarse voices. The dragged out the terrified people from their beds and gathered them on a glade by the lake. They didn't even put the Quieting Spell. Nobody could hear Muggles' desperate screams and without them they didn't have a real fun...'  
  
He put his forehead to the cold window-pane. Below, at the school yard, first groups of the students have just appeared, coming back from the match.  
  
'They began with a "teach-you-swimming"' continued Snape 'They cast a Paralysing Spell on a Muggle, threw him into the water and counted off loudly for how many seconds he would keep above the water. Then the competition started: whose Muggle would swim longer. One Death Eater wanted to win awfully and...he overdid a bit. A fat owner of the pension has never emerged from the water. They were completely drunk, began to cast different hexes on the people. Only the Beastmaster kept amazingly calm,' an ominous tone sounded in Snape's voice 'He was barely considering his spectacular performance...'  
  
The wind howled outside the window and the snow-flakes fell from the dark clouds.  
  
'He came near the children, crouched under the tree, and began to tell them about the animals,' said Severus 'Nobody could speak about them as he did and though the children were very scared, they were listening to him fascinated. The Beastmaster described them the habits of the wolves: as they prey, as they track the animal and as the whole pack attacks it. Finally he said that even the tamest dog had something from a wild beast... He whistled melodiously and five enormous hounds of the pension's owner stormed on the glade. The could feel fear and madness in the air and they were running around restlessly, foaming at the mouths and baring fangs, nobody knew whether at each other, at us or at the petrified Muggles. The Beastmaster dragged a little boy from the group, posted him on a stump and pulled out his wand. The Death Eaters were watching him greedily. The Beastmaster smiled devilishly and shouted the incantation. In an instant there were not boy but a white rabbit sitting on the stump. Well, the transformation wasn't completely successful...the rabbit still had the human palms instead of the claws. But it didn't make any difference. The Beastmaster called the dogs again and showed them an animal encouragingly. For several seconds the hounds were running around the stump and suddenly, in unison, they attacked. They were whirling amongst the horrible howl that drowned even the screams of the Muggles. At last the dogs finished and scattered over the glade, blood dripping from the mouths, nostrils sniffing a new prey. From the rabbit remained only a red stain and a few white flocks. The Death Eaters leapt to their feet, staring at each other uncertainly. Even they didn't expect anything like this. But the Beastmaster was in heaven. Still laughing he shouted that the young meet is the best. He pointed his wand at the horror-struck children. Immediately the bleeding wounds opened on their bodies and a sour smell of blood and sweat rose over the glade. Howling weirdly, the dogs were running around the screaming pupils like five large, black shadows of the death. The Beastmaster was watching with a mad twinkle in his eyes. And suddenly he yelled out, uttering a truly bestial howl. And as if they got a signal, the dogs sprang at the children...'  
  
Snape's voice turned into a hoarse whisper. He ceased talking and clenched his fingers at the stone parapet. He breathed heavily.  
  
'The Muggles bolted in panic' he said softly 'Nobody pursued them. The Death Eaters were staring hypnotised at the howling turmoil under the tree. Every now and then bones and some torn pieces of meet were falling out from it. Barking of the dogs mingled with a demoniacal laughter of the Beastmaster. And suddenly, without a word, one by one, the Death Eaters Dissapparated. The furthest from that infernal shriek an the smell of blood...'  
  
The last words vanished in a dead silence. Nobody moved. A snow-storm raged outside the window and the office plunged in a gloomy darkness. The minutes were passing. Finally Dumbledore stood up with effort and approached the fireplace. The bright flames rose up. In their flickering light the face of the wizard looked old and worried.  
  
'Horrifying...' he said in a subdued voice 'Magnus Devilson...And I trusted him...I give him a job in Hogwart...' he shook his head glumly.  
  
Snape stirred.  
  
'When I saw him here, among those children...' he whispered 'I remembered it all again...I told him to leave at once...and he did it. He had too much too lose,' a note of a cold sneer sounded in his voice.  
  
'That's why he resigned so unexpectedly,' muttered Dumbledore.  
  
'But how was it possible that no one has never accused the Death Eaters of that crime?' asked Vega 'I even didn't know about it.'  
  
Severus sighed heavily.  
  
'When it was over, the Beastmaster caught all the Muggles and modified their memory. Exact and calm, from the beginning to the end,' he whispered venomously 'They witnessed that the children had been killed by the dogs of the owner, who then committed suicide. Everything fitted. The body was found in the lake and the dogs were of a very dangerous race...'  
  
The silence fell again. Dumbledore was looking at Snape with a strange pain.  
  
'Severus,' he said softly 'Why have you never told me about it before? Why have you concealed, for so many years, that Devilson had committed such a hideous crime?'  
  
Snape turned from the window. He looked terribly. His face was grey, as if all blood had run out from it. His eyes were like two fathomless chasms of the death. He gazed at Dumbledore.  
  
'Because I was the Death Eater who had drowned that poor Muggle,' he said dully.  
  


. . .

  
Severus was sitting in the darkness, lost in the dreary thoughts. He didn't feel anything, neither relief, nor anger, nor grief. Only a cold, exhausting, infinite emptiness.  
  
'That's how the prisoners in Azkaban must feel' he thought but he denied himself at once 'No, they had their fear and despair. But I have nothing...'  
  
Somebody knocked silently at the door. Severus didn't react. The knocks repeated, much louder. The wizard was still motionless. But the guest seemed to be decided to get in. He muttered something and the door opened. That finally made Snape move. As far as he remembered, he had put a quite powerful spell on it. He looked at the man who entered.  
  
It was Albus Dumbledore. The light of his wand brightened the darkness of the office, revealing Snape in his armchair and a travelling trunk on the floor.  
  
'What does this suitcase mean, Severus?' asked Dumbledore with surprise, closing the door.  
  
'I'm leaving,' announced Snape dryly, getting up 'I quit the teacher's job.'  
  
Dumbledore was staring at him with disbelief.  
  
'For Merlin's Beard, what are you talking about?!' he exclaimed.  
  
Severus approached an old wizard and looked at his eyes.  
  
'For the second time I disappointed you, Headmaster,' he said softly 'For all those years I didn't tell you the truth...the truth about me. You believed, that though I had been a Death Eater, I had never killed anybody...' an expression of a deep grief flitted through his pale face 'But now...I'm not better than Devilson!' he laughed with a gloomy sneer.  
  
Compassion twinkled in Dumbledore's blue eyes.  
  
'Severus,' he said gently 'I trusted you because I believed that you were a good man. It wasn't a mistake, many times you had proved that you were loyal and noble. Everyone deserves a chance of reformation but not everybody can use it right. You did it, Severus,' he said firmly 'I would trust you with my own life...'  
  
He was looking at Snape gravely, his bright eyes shining. The Potion Master slowly rose his head.  
  
'Thank you...' he said dully.  
  
Dumbledore cheered up.  
  
'Well, don't get back to this any more,' he said with a smile 'And let's turn on the light!'  
  
He waved his wand and several candles blazed up, filling the room with a warm, yellow light. Dumbledore sat comfortably in the Snape's armchair.  
  
'Vega has just came back from the Malfoy's manor' he informed 'As we had expected, our dear Lucius disappeared. His wife has no idea where he is. She was very unpleasantly surprised when the house was surrounded with the Special Forces. I'm sure she imagined all the hiding-places where Lucius kept his Dark Arts stuff. When she heard what Draco had done she nearly fainted. Vega explained her that her husband had to participate in casting of the Imperius Curse.' he smiled ironically 'I suppose no one has ever called Lucius Malfoy the names his wife gave him. She was really furious. If I were Lucius I wouldn't come back home for a long time...But what is the most important, Narcisa remembered that during the holidays Lucius had taken his son on a day trip. Draco returned very tired and somehow seedy, but next day he seemed to be completely ok. '  
  
'A visit at Voldemort...' muttered Snape.  
  
Dumbledore nodded.  
  
'And what about Draco?' asked Severus 'Is he awake?'  
  
'Yes,' said the Headmaster 'His mother visited him. Vega was against but at last, at my request, she agreed. She is furious that Malfoy escaped.' he sighed 'But knowing her she will catch him, sooner or later.'  
  
'How is she?' asked Snape softly.  
  
Dumbledore looked at him attentively from above the glasses. In his blue eyes twinkled a strange melancholy, as if the question roused some distant memories.  
  
'I think she's pretty well,' he said 'Still has some problems with moving her right hand but it will cease soon. When I think about it...' his voice sounded very seriously 'Only Vega could escaped such a tight squeeze.'  
  
Snape nodded silently. The fire light reflected in his dark eyes.  
  
'Will she ever forgive me?' he asked the flames softly.  
  
The flames hissed but gave no answer. Instead, Dumbledore spoke.  
  
'Vega trusts you, Severus,' he said gently.  
  
Snape looked at him astounded, as if he had forgotten that there was somebody else in the room. 'Does she...?' he repeated doubtfully 'No, I don't think so...She ceased to trust me once for all that night at the Lupin's house.'  
  
'You're wrong,' said Dumbledore calmly 'Would Vega, trained by Alastor Moody, the most suspicious Auror I know, have consigned the Hogwart to your care if she hadn't trusted you?'  
  
He looked inquiringly at Snape but there was no answer. So he kept talking.  
  
'She could call McGonagall, Flitwick, Hagrid. But she called you. And you know why?' the blue eyes glittered 'Because Vega knows that, in spite of all that happened in the past, YOU will never betray her.'  
  
Severus was staring silently at the bright flames. The clock rasped and started to ring the midnight. The twelfth bell had died away and the silence fell.  
  
'She trusts me...maybe,' whispered Severus 'But will she forgive me?'  
  
The flames were silent. Dumbledore sighed and fixed his eyes on the quivering fire.  
  



	12. Unforgivable curse

12. Unforgivable curse   
  
_(February 5th, 1996)_  
  
Almost a month has passed since the eventful DADA lesson, but the dramatic events of that day still were the main subject of the discussions at Hogwart. The students were told that Draco acted under the Imperius Curse, but who and why had made him attack professor Starlight, remained a riddle. Many people, however, guessed the truth and it filled them with fear and terror. The name of You-Know-Who began to go round the school like a mournful, evil shadow that takes away the joy and hope, leaving only a dread.  
  
Harry had no doubt that the Dark Lord was the one who was responsible for the Malfoy's behaviour. Old fear revived in his heart and a cold, cruel laugher filled his dreams again. He felt an icy shudder at the very thought of what would have happened if Malfoy had aimed at him. He knew that this time he would have no chance against the _Avada Kedavra_.  
  
Ron and Hermione must think the same since they never left Harry alone. Anytime a Slytherin appeared in a corridor, Hermione pulled out her wand and Ron clutched the small balls, filled with the Paralysing Potion. After a week Harry has had enough of it and though he knew that his friends just worried about him, he forbade them firmly to continue such an activity. He argued, and no without reason, that not he but professor Starlight was Malfoy's target.  
  
And as for Draco, when after five days he left the hospital wing, it was difficult to recognise in him that sneering, cocky boy he had been before. He became quiet, cheerless and somehow musing. He didn't even tease Harry. And for a month he hasn't mentioned his father. At the DADA lessons he sat at the last table and avoided looking in Vega's eyes. But she, to the great surprise and discontent of the Gryffindors, still treated him as the rest of the students.  
  
Hagrid came back to Hogwart at the end of January and since that time he wanted to be told the whole story every day, again and again. Anytime the moment approached when Draco was to scream the Killing Curse, Hagrid sprang up and started to pace across the room, muttering: 'Unbelievable..._Avada Keadara_! Somethin' like that...at Hogwart!'  
  
It was the same this time. Harry, Ron and Hermione were sitting at the cushions near the blazing fireplace, drinking tea and waiting patiently till Hagrid radiates a daily dose of an indignation. Fang was drowsing on a mattress near the door, its paw put on a grey, rough stone, which recently was its favourite toy. Harry wondered whether it wasn't one of the gargoyle eggs but since there were no signs that anything was going to hatch from it, he came to the conclusion that it didn't matter.  
  
Hagrid sat impetuously on a wooden chair which creaked and reeled dangerously.  
  
'Blimey!' he gasped 'Har' to believe!'  
  
'Right,' continued Hermione 'And then professor Starlight sent me for Snape.'  
  
'Yeah, no wonder...' muttered Hagrid, nodding.  
  
Nasty twinkles flashed in Ron's eyes.  
  
'And for me it's very strange!' he drawled 'How could she trust a Death Eater!'  
  
That was the point which still worried Ron. Hagrid looked at him reproachfully and was about to say something but Hermione was faster.  
  
'Honestly! It's already boring !' he flared up, leaping to her feet and staring at Ron with a deep indignation 'Why do you always suspect professor Snape of the everything worst!'  
  
If she ever had been suspicious herself about a reliability of the Potion Master, it has changed completely since the day of Malfoy's attack. She thought that if professor Starlight trusted him, there is no reason to worry about it.  
  
'I don't suspect him!' muttered Ron 'I only said...'  
  
'Really?!' snorted Hermione angrily 'The fact you don't like him doesn't mean he is a villain here.'  
  
'Hermione's right,' Hagrid supported her 'Not look fer enemies where they're not. Snape was't the one who cast spell on Draco...'  
  
He stopped talking and squinted at Harry. The boy sighed and smiled sourly.  
  
'We now who is behind this, Hagrid' he said softly 'And who helped him. It's not a secret that professor Starlight is looking for Lucius Malfoy.'  
  
'Yeah, yer right' nodded Hagrid 'But if yeh already now it, I say yeh it's like to look fo' a needle in bottle o'hay. Vega sent Aurors to every part o' country but they can't fin'him. She is really furious...'  
  
'No wonder,' said Harry bitterly 'Malfoy is one of the most faithful Voldemort's servants.'  
  
Hagrid shuddered by the sound of the cursed name. He looked quickly at the window and leant towards the fireplace.  
  
'It's not only this,' he whispered 'See...Vega Starlight and Lucius Malfoy are mortal enemies. Hated each other already when were at Hogwart. There were often clashes between'em. No more than vicious hexes, usually. But once...' his black eyes twinkled 'Cause o' Malfoy Vega got'erself into a real mess.'  
  
'Mess?' repeated Harry, Ron and Hermione in unison.  
  
They tried not to sound too nosy though they were dying to know the details. Hagrid, pleased that his words exited such a curiosity, made himself comfortable in his armchair.  
  
'Well, I didn' see it in own eyes,' he said 'But know details. Sirius told me, and Vega herself. Anyway, was like this...'  
  
_***(April 17th, 1977)  
  
The sun was setting, painting the sky with different tints of gold and red. It so happened that these were the colours of the Gryfindor, whose team has just beaten the Slytherin in the Quidditch match and took the lead in the general classification.  
  
The hero of the hour was James Potter. He caught the golden Snitch from under the nose of Adrien Nott, the Seeker of Slytherin, just in the moment when the Gryffindor team had lost its third player after a very brutal foul. No wonder that more than a half o the Great Hall chattered and laughed cheerfully, since Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff also supported the Gryffinor.  
  
At the Slytherin table the atmosphere was completely different. Nobody smiled there. The Quidditch team was sitting with gloomy faces, scowling at unhappy Nott and not denying that he was the guiltier of such a disgraceful defeat. The most furious was the captain, Lucius Malfoy. This year he had the last chance for winning the school cup for his house but the chance seemed to be slipping away. No wonder that every peals of laughter at the Gryffindor table made his pale face twisted in rage and his cold eyes were piercing James with an utmost loathing.  
  
Soon the Slytherins began to steal out from the Great Hall. Vega, who has just exchanged significant looks with Snape, spotted Malfoy, making his way towards the door. She couldn't deny herself the pleasure of teasing her worst enemy.  
  
'Malfoy!' she called, smiling venomously 'You're leaving? So early to bed? Or maybe you're training at night. It would explain why your Seeker was playing as if he didn't see anything.'  
  
The Gryffindors burst out laughing. Malfoy turned round, his eyes burning murderously. He made a movement as if he was going to pull out his wand, but he decided not to risk in front of the teachers. Instead, he slowly approached the table and stopped a few steps from Vega. Several Slytherins stood behind him.  
  
'I see you have fun, Starlight' he whispered icily 'Enjoy, till you can. It will not take long...'  
  
The murmur of voices was growing silent, some first-years looked anxiously at Malfoy.  
  
'What are you threatening me with, Malfoy ?' asked Vega slowly, staring defiantly at Lucius 'Did you become a Death Eater?'  
  
A sinister silence fell. Malfoy's eyes were burning with hatred, he reached for his wand. Vega sprang up.  
  
'Any problem?' asked a calm voice.  
  
Professor Randall approached the Gryffindor table. He cast piercing glance at the small gathering.  
  
'I think it's time to go back to your dormitories,' he said with a significant half-smile.  
  
The youngest students rushed to the door with relief. The terror of Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters expanded in every-widening circles and no wonder that Malfoy's threats made them a bit scared.  
  
But neither Lucius nor Vega moved a step. There were still watching each other with a whole-hearted loathing, every moment ready to pull out their wands.  
  
'It refers everybody,' said Randall, this time more firmly.  
  
Sirius pulled Vega's sleeve.  
  
'Let's go, he's not worth to talk with him,' he said, casting scornful glance at Malfoy.  
  
Vega smiled sneeringly to Lucius and moved towards the door. But when she was passing Malfoy, he turned around.  
  
'Watch out, Starlight!' he hissed, his voice trembling with rage 'You will pay for that. After Mudbloods and half-Mudbloods the time will come for such bastards like you are.'  
  
'Mr Malfoy!' called Randall with indignation.  
  
Vega stopped abruptly.  
  
'Yes!' laughed Malfoy, losing his nerve 'You're far from being a pure-blood! I'm sure your mother went to bed with a Muggle!'  
  
'Hold your tongue, Lucius!' said sharply Dumbledore, standing up from his seat at the teachers' table.  
  
Vega stood petrified, feeling overcome by a tearing rage. She clenched her fists, a hissing breath was coming through her ground teeth. Sneering Malfoy's words still sounded in her ears. Completely overcome by hatred and craving of murder, she reached for the wand and turned round, pointing at Lucius. She was pale and a cruel grimace twisted her lips. Her grey eyes darkened.  
  
'Crucio!' she yelled in a horrible voice.  
  
Lucius fell on the floor, howling in pain. Some people screamed. Sirius stood motionless, totally bewildered. Snape was staring at Vega with the widened eyes.  
  
Not only the students were shocked. Professor McGonagall was sitting petrified, white as a sheet, staring horror-struck at the girl. Professor Green looked as if he had just seen his own death. The other teachers were exchanging terrified glances.  
  
'Vega! Stop it!' commanded Dumbledore in a sharp voice.  
  
Without result.  
  
Professor Randall recovered from a shock, pulled out his wand and pointed at Vega.  
  
'Expelliarmus!" he called.  
  
Vega's hand budged but she didn't drop the wand. She seemed completely unaware that somebody had just cast at her a Disarming Spell.  
  
'Expelliarmus!' shouted Randall with a growing anxiety.  
  
This time the wand struggled much strongly but Vega didn't release her hold. Malfoy was writhing in agony, ghastly pale.  
  
'Move aside!' somebody commanded firmly.  
  
Dumbledore passed quickly the students, his blue eyes glowering.  
  
'I can't disarm her...' said Randall nervously.  
  
'Expelliarmus!' cried Dumbledore.  
  
A powerful force wrenched Vega when her wand tried desperately to escape from her hand. The girl staggered but didn't drop the wand, which now started to emit light blue sparks all along its length. Dumbledore looked surprised.  
  
'Unbelievable!' he muttered 'What an incredible power...Well, nothing remains but to... Stupefy!' he cried.  
  
A red jet of light shot towards Vega and she fell unconscious on the floor. Dumbledore bent quickly and picked up her wand. He examined it intently and hid in his pocket. Then he approached Malfoy who didn't scream anymore and was lying motionless, panting.  
  
'Take him to the hospital wing,' Dumbledore turned to the stunned Slytherins 'He will be ok.' he added soothingly.  
  
Malfoy's friends helped him to get up and accompanied him out of the room. Dumbledore followed him with his eyes. He noticed that Severus Snape was leaving reluctantly, looking uneasily at Vega over his shoulder.  
  
'It's incredible...' he heard slightly shaking voice of Randall 'An Unforgivable Curse...at school...'  
  
Dumbledore turned round and looked at the girl with a deep concern. Quick steps sounded in the deadly silence filling the Hall. Minerva McGonagall was running from the stuff table. She stopped near Dumbledore, still very pale.  
  
'Albus,' she said faintly 'What now? They will be here in a moment.'  
  
'First of all, let's keep calm,' said Dumbledore 'I ask everybody to go to the house dormitories.'  
  
The students moved hastily towards the door.  
  
'Professor!' Sirius was very nervous 'Does it mean... They are not going to take her to Azkaban!'  
  
'I'll do everything to prevent this,' said the Headmaster firmly 'But this time your sister has really serious troubles. And now, Sirius, go to your room.'  
  
'But...' he tried to protest.  
  
The sever look of Dumbledore cut the further discussion. Sirius moved unwillingly towards the door.  
  
He had hardly left Hall when Dumbledore pulled out his wand and pointed at Vega, whispering: 'Enervate'. The girl opened her eyes and looked around. Suddenly, as if she had reminded everything, she leapt to her feet, staring at Dumbledore with a horror.  
  
'What have I done...' she stammered 'I didn't want to...but when he said...' grey eyes glinted with hatred at the very memory.  
  
'I understand,' said Dumbledore calmly, not taking his piercing eyes off Vega 'But now I want to know one thing: where did you learn the Unforgivable Curse?'  
  
The girls stood silently, staring at the floor.  
  
'Did you learn this curse from Lord Voldemort?' asked harshly Dumbledore.  
  
Vega rose her head impetuously, her face expressed disbelief and indignation.  
  
'No!' she protested firmly though her voice was shaking 'I have nothing to do with him! You must believe me! It was everything in a book...'  
  
She broke off suddenly, realising she said one word too much. But it was too late.  
  
'What book was it?' asked Dumbledore immediately.  
  
Vega knew that now she had to tell the truth.  
  
'About the advanced Dark Arts,' she whispered, her eyes fixed on the floor.  
  
'How did you get it?'  
  
Vega was thinking intensively. The book had been brought be Snape and for all year they were studying from it the powerful dark curses. But it was something she couldn't tell Dumbledore. She didn't want to get Severus into troubles.  
  
'I bought it during the holidays,' she said trying to sound reliably 'At Knockturn Alley. From a stranger.'  
  
'I would like to see it,' said Dumbledore.  
  
And it was clear he wanted to do it now.  
  
'I ...don't have it, ' said Vega eagerly 'I mean, I don't have it any more. When I had learned the most interesting curses, I burned it.'  
  
On the inner side of the cover there were a stamp of a black spider. Vega was sure that Dumbledore knew the sign and would identify the owner at once.  
  
However, the wizard didn't look convinced.  
  
'Vega,' he said in a weary voice 'The Aurors will be here in a moment. They will search all your things. If they find anything...'  
  
'I swear! I destroyed it !' groaned Vega, scared by the mention of Aurors.  
  
She preferred not to think what would happen if she hadn't returned the book to Severus a week ago.  
  
Suddenly the great door opened with a rumble and panting Hagrid rushed into the Hall. He ran to Dumbledore.  
  
'Headmaster...' he gasped out 'Three people are comin', from Ministry. On is Alastor Moody.' He looked at pale Vega with mingled surprise and anxiety.  
  
'I've been expecting them, Rubeus,' said Dumbledore calmly 'Invite them to my office,' he put his hand on Vega's arm 'Let's go.'  
  
The girl stiffly followed the wizard. When they were crossing a corridor leading to the dungeons, she felt a very piercing glance at her. She looked around and saw Severus, hidden behind a pillar. She felt her heart in her throat. Dumbledore cannot see him! She signed to Severus to get out.  
  
They reached the Headmaster's office. Dumbledore showed a chair to Vega and sat at the opposite side of the table, his eyes fixed on the door. After five minutes or so, the hurried steps sounded on the stairs and somebody knocked. Vega jumped on the chair.  
  
'Come in, ' said Dumbledore, standing up.  
  
Three people entered the room, a woman and two men. They all looked very gravely.  
  
'Albus, what the hell happened here!' began the witch from the doorstep; she was about forty and was really nervous 'We got a signal that an Unforgivable Curse had been used in Hogwart. I didn't want to believe it.'  
  
'You didn't warn us that you were going to show your students the Cruciatus Curse,' added one of the men.  
  
The third one didn't say a word but he snorted sneeringly. He fixed his piercing, cold eyes on Vega as if he knew very well why she was there. Dumbledore noticed it.  
  
'Your intuition serves you well, Alastor,' he said 'This is Vega Starlight. She was the one who cast the Unforgivable Curse this night.'  
  
Ominous twinkles glinted in the Auror's bright eyes which made Vega crouched on her chair. The others were looking at her with amazement.  
  
'This girl cast the Cruciatus?' asked the witch with disbelief 'I don't believe that the fifteen-year-old can perform such an advanced spell!'  
  
'But it's true, Arabella,' sighed Dumbledore 'though, believe me, I would give everything for you were right. But Miss Starlight is a very talented student and she coped with the Unforgivable Curse.'  
  
Moody's lips twisted in a nasty grimace.  
  
'Are you a Death Eater?' he hissed sinisterly 'Did Voldemort teach you how to torture people?'  
  
'No!' cried Vega, springing up; her eyes were burning, she clenched her fists 'I'm not a Death Eater!'  
  
'Everybody says that when we catch him!' laughed Moody glumly.  
  
'I believe Vega, Alastor,' said calmly Dumbledore 'I know her and I know she is not lying. Tell them everything you told me,' he turned to the girl.  
  
Vega breathed heavily and began to talk. The wizards were listening attentively. When she had finished, Moody snorted angrily.  
  
'You think I'm going to believe it?' he sneered 'That you bought the book, just like that, and then you burned it? Rubbish!'  
  
'Easy, Alastor,' said the wizard from the Ministry 'I think you exaggerate. In my opinion there is no reason not to believe Miss Starlight. Especially, that Albus guarantees for her. '  
  
The Auror looked at him malevolently.  
  
'Even though, Willis, who nowadays study the Dark Arts if not to join Voldemort. If that girl isn't a Death Eater YET, she wants to be the one.'  
  
'It's not true!' Vega protested sharply 'I told you I learned those spells out of curiosity !'  
  
Moody's gaze was icy and sneering.  
  
'So you have rather strange interests,' he said venomously 'And risky...'  
  
'Leave it, Moody,' said Willis irritated 'As usual, you see enemies everywhere. I'm sure that girl has nothing to do with the Death Eaters.'  
  
'I agree with John,' said Arabella.  
  
Moody snorted angrily.  
  
'But it doesn't change the fact,' proceeded the witch 'that the curse has been cast. Albus, you know what is the penalty it that case.'  
  
Dumbledore nodded.  
  
'I know,' he said 'but this time you should take into account some extenuating circumstances. Vega didn't use the spell to attack somebody deliberately. She has been provoked, in a hideous way, and lost control of herself. She is a Prefect of Gryffindor, a perfect student and I trust her.'  
  
'Cruciatus is Cruciatus,' growled Moody 'Everybody knows that an Unforgivable Curse means a sentence in Azkaban. We have to protect our community against the people who can use such dangerous magic. Who can and DO that,' he added markedly.  
  
'Law should be strict but not stiff,' said Dumbledore firmly 'Vega acted badly but we cannot treat her as those criminals in Azkaban.'  
  
Arabella started to pace across the room, every now and then casting the weary glances at Vega. 'There is only one solution,' she said finally, stopping near the fireplace 'Let's recognise it was an accidental curse. Because it took place on the school grounds, it's in Dumbledore's jurisdiction. Punish her as you think fit.'  
  
John Willis accepted that proposition with relief.  
  
'I agree,' he said sighing heavily.  
  
'Alastor?' asked the witch.  
  
Moody looked livid and showed it immediately.  
  
'Your tolerance is piteous,' he growled 'But you are in charge, Arabella. And you,' he turned to Vega with a dangerous twinkle in his eyes 'Be careful... I will keep a sharp eye on you. And if you ever give me a reason to suspect you, even Dumbledore will not save you.'  
  
Vega shuddered but she resolutely endured the basilisk glance of the Auror. Moody smiled devilishly, bowed shortly to Dumbledore and left the office.  
  
'We will also go,' said Willis 'Good-bye, Albus.'  
  
And, casting a last look at Vega, they followed Moody.  
  
The door had hardly closed behind them when Dumbledore reached for a small carafe, filled it with water and drunk it at one gulp. He put away the goblet and looked at Vega with a deep concern.  
  
'Do you realise,' he said in a weary voice 'what could have happened? They had the right to put you into Azkaban.'  
  
Vega stood with a lowered head. Only now, after the conversation with the ministry wizards, she fully realised the danger.  
  
'I didn't want, really...' she whispered.  
  
Dumbledore approached her and put a hand on her.  
  
'I know,' he said gently.  
  
Vega rose her head. Her grey eyes were full of despair and a heart-felt sorrow.  
  
'Professor...' she said in a shaking voice 'now...you expel me from Hogwart...?'  
  
'What are you talking about!' Dumbledore bridled up 'Of course I won't do that.'  
  
'But...' Vega couldn't believe her ears 'After what I did...'  
  
Dumbledore smiled sadly.  
  
'If it was really your fault, I wouldn't hesitate for a moment. But firstly, I know why it happened. And secondly, I'm also guilty.'  
  
Vega looked at him astounded.  
  
'Yes,' sighed Dumbledore ' I blame myself for I didn't know what you were doing after lessons. And I should. I suspected that you were studying the Dark Arts with Severus but I had no idea you had carried it so far. I underestimated you...'  
  
Vega turned pale and looked confused at Dumbledore. The wizard smiled slightly.  
  
'Yes, I know about Severus,' he said 'I've been observing you for years. It's a bit unusual, a friendship between Gryffindor and Slytherin. I interpreted it as the common interests...and I was right. That book belongs to him, doesn't it? And you didn't burn it at all.'  
  
Vega was silent. She didn't dare to lie to Dumbledore but if she confirmed his conjectures, she would feel like a traitor. But the wizard must have understood her well since he didn't even wait for the answer.  
  
'I know you didn't want Severus had troubles,' he said gravely 'but it was risky game lie to the Auror. Moody could force you to drink Veritaserum. And if he found out you didn't tell the truth...' he paused significantly.  
  
Vega was staring at the floor.  
  
'It can't happen again,' said Dumbledore firmly 'Vega, as long as you are at Hogwart, I strictly forbid you to study Dark Arts. No more dark curses. Understand?!'  
  
Vega nodded dismally.  
  
'I'm glad to hear that,' said Dumbledore in a more gently voice 'And now it's time you go back to your dormitory. It's the middle of the night. Let's go, I will escort you.'  
  
They left the office and moved towards the Gryffindor tower. When they were passing the main stairs, it seemed to Vega that below a dark figure hid quickly behind the corner.***  
  
_


	13. Heir of Slytherin

13. Heir of Slytherin   
  
_(March 21st, 1996)_  
  
Nagini was crawling noiselessly through the empty corridors, the tremendous rings of her scaly body shimmering with a silvery lustre whenever a pale moonlight fell on them. Yellow, rapacious eyes were staring watchfully at the darkness, ready to catch the slightest movement. She loved the night hunting, it was her passion. She preyed for a pure pleasure of killing since Nagini wouldn't touch a rat or a bat any more. The times had passed when she had to raven on carcass and garbage to survive. Since the day of Voldemort's rebirth her taste became much subtler. Human flesh, that were how they feed her now.  
  
Something rustled in a dark niche under the window. Nagini stiffened and slowly rose her longish head. Predator's instinct told her she had just found a prey. The nostrils quivered, a thin, two-cleft tongue jutted out from the mouth and an icy hiss cut the silence.  
  
The rustle ceased at once. Somebody or something was lurking under the wall, frightened to death, face to face with the giant snake. Nagini hissed again, this time with a tone of a cruel satisfaction. She knew that smell. It wasn't a mouse... A slight shiver run through the huge body, yellow eyes glinted rapaciously. Slowly, hypnotising the victim with a steady sway of the head, Nagini moved towards the niche. A heavy, hasty breath could be heard in the darkness.   
  
'Keep away!' somebody whispered with panic 'Don't touch me! It's me...Wormtail!'  
  
A silent hiss sounded like a sneering laugher. Snake's mouth nearly touched the face of the man.  
  
'No!!!' screamed Wormtail desperately, dodging under the bent body and bolting 'Leave me alone!'  
  
Quick footsteps sounded in the corridor. Nagini immediately fell on the floor and set off in pursuit with an incredible speed. One could tell that a winding stream of silver was flowing through the dark hall.   
  
Wormtail, however, was far from such observations. He was rushing forwards, driven by a deadly fear, not looking back. He didn't have to. He could hear a swishing rustle of the scales, rubbing the floor. He was getting out of breath, sweat was pouring his face but he knew he couldn't stop. The death was behind him.  
  
A door loomed in the end of the corridor. Wormtail forced himself to the last effort. A murderous hiss sounded in the darkness and the wizard could imagine the long, sharp fans of the snake sticking into his neck, oozing the poisonous venom. He quickened his pace as much as he could. The safety door was closer and closer, three meters, two, one... Breathless, nearly fainting of fear and strain, Wormtail dashed into the dark room.  
  
'Master...!' he managed to gasped out before he fell to his knees.  
  
A man standing near the fireplace moved and a cold, pale blue light filled the room. Wormtail rose his head hesitantly and shuddered. He was looking right into the cruel, pitiless eyes of the snake, red as a fresh blood.  
  
'I can't remember if I called you...' drawled an icy voice.  
  
Wormtail almost flattened on the floor in a submissive bow.  
  
'Forgive me, master!' he gasped 'But she...'  
  
The words froze in his mouth. Behind his back he heard a movement and the giant, shimmering body passed him silently. The snake crept up to Voldemort and put its head on his feet. The Dark Lord smiled devilishly.  
  
'Nagini is hungry,' he said with an ominous twinkle in his eyes 'And this is your fault, Wormtail. It's your duty to feed her with a fresh meet. You know how much she loves it...'  
  
Wormtail stiffened. He knew that the murderous notes in Voldemort's voice didn't portend anything good, especially for him. He began to suspect that the cunning snake had planned it all. Nagini didn't dare, yet, to devour one of her master's servants. But she could expect that he would give him to her as a gift.  
  
'Go and bring her something good!' barked Voldemort impatiently.  
  
Wormtail leapt to his feet and run out from the room. Nagini hissed discontented. The Dark Lord was watching the wizard with a real disgust.  
  
'Wretched creature,' he drawled 'I will not need him soon. And then...' his voice turned into hiss and his red eyes looked right into the yellow lamps of the snake 'You will play with him...'  
  
Nagini brushed gratefully against her master's legs. In the same moment the blue flames flared up and a tall, hooded figure came out of the fireplace. Nagini rose her head and hissed silently. She crept to the man and wound herself round his feet.  
  
'Nagini likes you,' said Voldemort with a dark smile 'And I trust her verdicts. She was never wrong.'  
  
Impostor bowed without a word. The Dark Lord was watching him lost in thoughts.  
  
'Today, when the fate hangs in the balance, it's especially important.' he said softly 'Trust is a luxury I can rarely indulge. My most faithful servants are either dead or closed in Azkaban. And who surrounds me?' he hissed with anger 'False servants! The Death Eaters who renounced me to save their own necks! They think I forgave them. No...' hatred burned in his red eyes 'I do not forgive so easily...'  
  
Nagini, feeling her master's rage, hissed sinisterly. Voldemort rose his hand and touched on of his fingers.  
  
'Macnair,' he began to count off 'Lies low in the Ministry and shakes with fear at the very though of the Aurors. I have no profit of him. Crabb, Goyle - fools, but they at least will execute every order without thinking. Nott,' he smiled viciously 'he would escape from me on the end of the world if he could be sure I would not find him there. Malfoy...' his voice turned into a sinister whisper 'Oh yes, Lucius assured me many times about his loyalty and faith. But when I demanded a proof,' red eyes glinted vindictively 'even he hesitated. I saw he turned pale when I had ordered him to bring his son to me. He tried to evade though it would be a great honour for the boy!' he laughed savagely 'He could die in Lord Voldemort's service!'  
  
In the pale blue light of the fire the face of the wizard, twisted in a sneering grimace, looked like a mask of the death. Red eyes were burning.  
  
'Well...' he drawled 'Vega Starlight is more difficult opponent than I expected. I was sure that this time she would finally revealed herself.' he shook his head dissatisfied 'My plan was perfect but still I don't know anything more than before. Shrewd viper!' he hissed 'She hoodwinked me. But sooner or later I will know whether she can really reflect Avada Kedavra. And then,' he smiled dreamily 'when I know her secret... With the army resistant to the Killing Curse, I will master the world!'  
  
Bright flames shot from the fireplace and surrounded Voldemort in a shining aureole. Nagini hissed triumphantly.  
  
'The day is coming,' said the Dark Lord solemnly 'when the ranks of the Death Eaters will fill with those who really deserve that name. Almost all cards have been dealt. I'm waiting only for a joker.'  
  
A horrible scream could be heard on the yard, a greenish light flashed. Nagini stiffened, her yellow eyes glinted and the tail tip started to hit the ground steadily. Voldemort approached the snake and pat it on its head.  
  
'The supper, I suppose' he hissed softly 'Go, Nagini...'  
  
The snake shot from the room as a silver arrow and disappeared in the darkness. Voldemort went to the window and looked out at the yard. A ghastly smile crept on his lips.  
  
'Old Albus suspects what I'm planning,' he continued his thought, still observing Nagini's feast 'He undertook some precautionary steps. But even he will not anticipate everything. He will be nastily surprised...'  
  
He turned from the window and looked piercingly at Impostor.  
  
'Dumbledore will not stop me,' he said 'Soon dozens of the Death Eaters join me and nobody will resist my power. Hardly anybody... There is only one person who can threaten me. Heir of Slytherin...' he whispered, looking at the flames as if he saw somebody's face there 'You still don't know how important role you will play. You don't know who you really are...' red eyes twinkled strangely 'But before long you will know the truth. Will you join me then?' he asked the flames softly 'The same sacred blood of Salazar Slytherin runs in our veins. You can't renounce your destiny...'  
  
He was staring at the fire as if we wanted to find there an answer for all the unknowns.  
  
'Dumbledore realises the danger and he will do everything not to allow our union.' proceeded Voldemort 'Can I take so much risks? If he succeeded...' he whispered' If the heir of Slytherin turned against me... This is what our dear Albus expects,' he smiled glumly 'He imagined he would defeat me that way. And that was why he wanted to be sure that his guesses about the person are correct. Recently he has been studying thoroughly the Slytherins' genealogy. He has suspected the truth for years but now he is finally sure. He found a letter...'  
  
The door hit the wall and panting Wormtail run into the room. He crouched with fear, meeting a dark look of Voldemort.  
  
'Master...' he moaned 'Forgive me I disturb you again, but the wizard from the Ministry has just Apparated and...'  
  
'I've been expecting him,' cut Voldemort harshly 'Let he wait. And you get off! And if see you here again that night, I will be happy to make Nagini a present of you.'  
  
Wormtail's pale face expressed a pure dread. Mumbling something that must have been apologies he slept out of the room. Voldemort beckoned at Impostor.  
  
'I called you since I have a new task for you,' he said sinisterly 'Anyone who stands on my way has to pay the price. Harry Potter must die.'  
  
Impostor stirred. From under the hood the eyes glinted, dark and cold as the death.  
  
'Will be as you wish, Master' he said softly.  
  


* * *

_(April 1st, 1996)_  
  
Harry was sitting in the Dumbledore's office, racking his brains for why the Headmaster had called him so unexpectedly. As far as he could remember, he didn't do anything wrong lately. He didn't anger Snape, he was very good in Transfiguration and it was his action that made Gryffindor win the last Quidditch match. Seeing all those facts, Harry came to the conclusion that Dumbledore had no fault to find with him. He grew uneasy that maybe Sirius had some troubles but Dumbledore didn't look worried when an hour ago he had asked Harry for a talk. So there was nothing but to wait.  
  
Fawkes rose its head before the door opened behind Harry's back. The boy turned round. Dumbledore entered the office, smiling warmly to his guest and sitting in a great armchair at the opposite side of the desk.  
  
'Sorry I kept you wait, Harry' he said 'But Hagrid has just returned and I wanted to hear the latest news. Fortunately, everything is ok.'  
  
'Yeah...that's good' Harry remarked politely though he hadn't the faintest idea what the wizard was talking about.  
  
Dumbledore smiled and for a moment was looking at the boy silently, with a strange musing. Harry felt a bit anxious. He began to suspect that the approaching conversation would not be easy. As to confirm those suppositions Dumbledore rested his hands on the table and looked straight into the boy's eyes.  
  
'Harry,' he said solemnly 'The time has come you know the truth.'  
  
Harry stare at him astounded. These words were something he absolutely didn't expect.  
  
'The truth?' he asked 'About what?'  
  
'About yourself,' said Dumbledore calmly, not taking eyes off the boy's face 'About who you are. About the house you descend from. It will help you understand...many things.'  
  
He reached to the desk drawer and pulled out a long, tightly packed roll of the parchment. He put it on the table and stretched carefully. Harry lent over it with curiosity but he felt a sever disappointment. The parchment was empty.  
  
Dumbledore smiled.  
  
'This is a family-tree of the Slytherin's house' he explained 'Of course, it has been protected against the wrong eyes. Like the Marauders Map...' he winked to Harry.  
  
He pulled out his wand and said silently some words in a strange language. A dark green, glistening inscription materialised at the top of the parchment: SALAZAR SLYTHERIN.  
  
'One simple spell and ready,' said Dumbledore with a boyish satisfaction 'Here is the head of the house. You know his story pretty well. He was one of the four founders of Hogwart. The most powerful but also the most greedy of the power and force. No one has ever studied so thoroughly the secrets of the Dark Arts before. Unfortunately...'  
  
Harry shuddered at the memory of the great basilisk from the Chamber of Secrets.  
  
'Salazar had a son, named Sixtus,' continued Dumbledore touching lightly the parchment on which the new inscription appeared 'He inherited his father's talent and fascination for the most dark side of the magic. He was the one who founded the Order of the Dark Knights. Such a medieval equivalent of the Death Eaters' he explained 'Their leader was called a Prince and he was always from the Slytherin's line, the dignity used to come down from father to son. Soon the Order covered itself with a sinister fame and it existed through the centuries till 1764, when it has been officially dissolved by the Council of Warlocks. The last Prince of the Order, Grimus, couldn't put up with the downfall of the Dark Knights. He rose in revolt. A long, blood war began, which took a heave toll of lives' a grief glinted in Dumbledore's blue eyes 'Finally the Order has been defeated and Griums was killed. His only son also died but the Slytherin's line survived since the youngest daughter of the Prince escaped from the massacre. And though the heirs of Griums lost their old splendour and power, the family traditions came down through the generations and the memory of the famous Salazar was still alive in the hearts of his descendants. There were waiting until the man would be born who will avenge their humiliation and recall the power of the most magnificent house.'  
  
He paused, looking thoughtfully at the names appearing inch by inch all along the parchment. The family-tree was growing bigger.  
  
'Two hundred years had passed,' said Dumbledore 'and one day a very talented boy appeared in Hogwart. Tom Marvolo Riddle. His childhood wasn't easy. His mother, a witch, died giving birth to him and father, the Muggle, didn't want to have anything to do with such a son. Tom was brought up in the orphanage and didn't know anything about his ancestry. But one day he received a letter from Hogwart...'  
  
Harry shuddered. He knew that story too much well, Voldemort himself told him about it. And again, as three years before, he felt his heart frozen at the thought how much Riddle's story reminded his own fate.  
  
Dumbledore looked at Harry with a strange sorrow.  
  
'I was the one who told Tom that he was the heir of Slytherin' he said softly 'I thought he had right to know. I believed I acted right...' he sighed heavily 'Did I make a mistake? If I had covered up the truth from him, would Lord Voldemort never arise? I don't know...' he shook his head 'Tom always hid in his heart grudge and hatred to the whole world. That was why he became what he is now. And the world shuddered when the last heir of Salazar Slytherin threw off the mask.'  
  
He ceased talking and fell to thinking, stroking his long beard. Fawkes fluttered its wings and whistled shrilly. Dumbledore stirred.  
  
'I suppose you wonder why I'm telling you about this?' he turned to Harry with a weary smile 'Just a bit more patience... Some part of this story you knew before, the rest are just the well known historical facts. The history of the Slytherin's house fills dozens of the thick volumes. We thought we knew everything on that subject...'  
  
He smiled ironically. Harry straightened up on the chair and pricked up his ears. He had a feeling that he would hear something very interesting in a moment.  
  
'We were wrong,' said Dumbledore, looking at the parchment on his desk 'But finally I know the whole truth...'  
  
He waved his wand and a new inscription appeared next to the name of Sixtus, written not in green but in black ink. Dumbledore looked gravely at Harry.  
  
'Salazar Slytherin had not one but two sons' he said solemnly 'The first-born Sixtus and the second one, called Septimus. The chronicles don't mention about him, for the centuries nobody even knew about his existence. You will ask: why?' he smiled darkly 'Indeed, the truth is shocking. The younger son of Salazar Slytherin was a Squib. Just imagine. The heir of the most powerful wizards of those times, totally devoid of the magical ability. Shame and disgrace, especially for someone as proud as Slytherin. No wonder he did everything to wipe this humiliating fact out of the people's memory. I don't know why he hadn't killed the boy...but maybe even Salazar had some scruples left. Anyway, he banished his son and forbade him to use the Slytherin's name. Cruel and unfair you could say...' he sighed 'But in fact it was the best thing that could happen to Septimus. He has never felt well in his father's castle, he was strange and unwanted in the magical world that he didn't understand. On the other hand he could do perfectly well among the Muggles. He settled in France and adopted a name D'Elixe. Quickly he came into a great prominence, he became on of the king's counsellors. Honours and privileges fell on his house. And when Septimus died there were nobody who would know that the wizards' blood runs in the veins of his heirs.'  
  
Harry was listening to the story with an opened mouth, dozens of thoughts whirling in his head.  
  
'How...how did you know this?' he uttered at last 'I mean...if nobody knew who Septimus was...' Dumbledore smiled.  
  
'Good question,' he said lengthily 'Salazar'a plan was almost perfect. He used his power to make sure that the slightest mention about Septimus would not appear in the chronicles. People who had known something about the younger Slytherin disappeared mysteriously. And marquis D'Elixe didn't desire anything but to forget about his origins. However...' he shook his head thoughtfully 'A few days before his death he wrote a letter and revealed there his real name: Slytherin. It was only a meaningless word for his sons and the letter fell into oblivion. Harry,' Dumbledore said emphatically 'I suppose that I am the only wizard who read that letter.'  
  
Several seconds had passed before Harry fully realised what it meant. He looked at the Headmaster totally bewildered.  
  
'That means only you and me know about Septimus?' he stuttered.  
  
Dumbledore nodded. Harry didn't take his eyes off his face.  
  
'But why me?' he asked silently 'Why are you telling ME about it?'  
  
The old wizard sighed heavily.  
  
'You will know everything in a moment, Harry' he said softly 'Story is drawing to an end' he clasped his hands an stared at something over the boy's head 'The fortune is very variable...History didn't spare D'Elixe family. Many descendants died during the Muggle wars. The ones who survived came back to England at the end of XVIIIth century. Hundred years later the last heir of Septimus was born. His name was Marvolo Riddle.'  
  
Harry choked. He couldn't believe his ears.  
  
'Marvolo Riddle was from the Slytherin's line?' he whispered 'But it means...'  
  
'Yes, Harry' said slowly Dumbledore 'This is our ill fortune that due to the unimaginable decree of fate two lines of the Salazar Slytherin's heirs joined in Marvolo's grandson. That gave him a power no one could ever dream about.'  
  
Harry was silent. He was too surprised to say a word. Dumbledore was looking at the parchment where the name of the last heir of Slytherin has just materialised: Tom Marvolo Riddle.  
  
'But this is not the last surprise hidden in this paper;' he said slowly 'Marvolo Riddle had an older brother. His daughter, Vivian, married young, promising engineer,' he looked piercingly at Harry 'His name was Scott Evans.'  
  
It was like a thunderbolt. Harry was staring at the wizard with the widened eyes, trying to control his stiffened tongue.  
  
'Evans?' he repeated in a shaking voice 'But...my mother's surname was Evans...'  
  
Dumbledore nodded.  
  
'Vivian and Scott had two granddaughters. To the great surprise of the whole family it turned out that the younger girl was a very talented witch. It was your mother, Harry, Lily Evans.'  
  
Harry kept silent. He pressed his hands on his feverish forehead. Dumbledore was watching him attentively.  
  
'Well, it's a very interesting phenomenon' he muttered 'In the Squib's family genes responsible for the magical ability come down through the generations but can remain not active for the centuries. That was the case.'  
  
'But it means...' Harry's eyes expressed a pure dread 'that I'm also the descendant of the Salazar Slytherin! So it was true! He was right! Then, in the Chamber of Secrets he told me we were very similar... I don't want to be like Voldemort!' he cried springing up from the chair, his eyes burning feverishly.  
  
Dumbledore didn't move.  
  
'First of all, calm down, Harry,' he said gently but firmly 'Sit down and remember what I told you. It was Voldemort who gave you, unawares, a part of his power. That's why you can speak Parseltongue. And that's why you can resist HIM. Yes, it's true,' Dumbledore's voice was now grave and dignified 'You descend from the house of Salazar Slytherin. But it doesn't mean you must be like Lord Voldemort. Harry,' he looked at the boy piercingly 'WE decide about our live, not the blood that runs in our veins. Do you know who killed Grimus, the last Prince of the Dark Knights?' Harry shook slowly his head 'He was killed by his own brother who despised everything what the Order impersonated. Remember about this.'  
  
The silence fell. Everything was so rare and unexpected that Harry felt completely lost. He knew only that his worst fears came true. He was the heir of Slytherin. The Sorting Hat wasn't wrong. Harry closed his eyes and reclined his head on hands. He needed some time to think it over.  
  
Dumbledore looked at the boy from over his glasses, grief twinkling in his blue eyes.  
  
'You asked me once why Voldemort wanted to spare your mother's life' he said softly; Harry came to his senses 'She died only because she wanted to protect you. You was the Voldemort's aim that night, Harry. He knew you would be dangerous for him in the future. And he decided to eliminate you...' he sighed heavily.  
  
Harry felt cold fury growing in his heart. We wished to face Voldemort right now and punish him for everything: for his parents' death, for the Death Eaters's crimes, for his own ruined childhood. He felt that he would find the power to defeat him once for ever. He was the heir of Slytherin!  
  
'Harry!'  
  
Dumbledore's voice was like a cold shower. The boy shuddered and rubbed his eyes. Fantastic visions he had been devising a while before now seemed to him completely absurd. If anybody could defeat the Dark Lord it was only Dumbledore.  
  
The old wizard seemed to read in his mind.  
  
'Harry, I'm afraid that Voldemort would attack soon,' he said gravely 'More powerful than ever. Full of hatred and desire of revenge. I don't know if anybody will be able to stop him. I don't know how it will end...for all of us,' weariness and grief glinted in his blue eyes 'Anyway, I wanted you to know the truth.'  
  
Harry was silent. What could he say in that moment. That he is scared? That he feels helpless? That he would give everything for his parents were with him? Dumbledore surly understood it.  
  
'I must ask you not to tell anybody about what we were talking tonight,' said the wizard.  
  
Harry nodded. He stood up slowly, bade good-bye to the Headmaster and left the office silently. Dumbledore sighed and looked at the parchment. The Slytherin's family-tree has already sent out all its leaves. The old wizard was watching them with a gloomy musing.  
  
'Which side will you take, the Heir of Salazar Slytherin?' he asked softly.  
  



	14. Hagrid's secret

14. Hagrid's secret   
  
_(April 15th, 1996)_  
  
'I don't understand what's going on with him' said Hermione, spreading her arms helplessly 'For two weeks he has been behaving very strangely. All the time he is so mournful and depressed; it's not like Harry.'  
  
'And the worst is he hardly ever talks to us,' added Ron 'So how can we know what is wrong?'  
  
They were sitting on a large tree trunk in front of the Hagrid's hut. Bright, spring sun was warming their faces but it couldn't scatter their anxiety. They've been worrying about Harry. They felt that Dumbledore must have told him something that bothered him so much. But Harry was silent as the grave and they couldn't draw out if him any word about the mysterious conversation. So they could only conjecture.  
  
Of course Hagrid was also perturbed by Harry's misery though he couldn't suppress his great pride and delight. Everybody who knew Hagrid could easily understand the reason, looking into the rocky cave built by the students in the autumn.  
  
The gargoyles hatched tree days ago. Hermione and Ron had never been so surprised in their lives as in the moment, when entering the cave in order to change the litter (a boring duty at the beginning of every Hagrid's lesson) they found there, instead of a pile of the stone eggs, a hundred of small, grey creatures with bat-like wings and long, thin tails, which was systematically crushing the stones into a white powder with their sharp, strong beaks.  
  
Hagrid was beaming. He sent the students for the new supply of the stones because, as he explained, the gargoyles fed on the minerals contained in the rocks. When they came back after an hour loaded with the kilograms of the stones, the cave has just started to crumble. The gluttonous creatures had already crushed most of its inner walls.  
  
Hagrid was delighted of their good appetite. He was beaming at the very thought how beautiful and shapely they would be when they grew up. The word "grew up" made the students a bit uneasy. They realised they hadn't the faintest idea what size an adult gargoyle could reach. And whether it became a predator.  
  
Hagrid dispelled at least some of those fears. He explained that the gargoyles fed on the minerals for all their lives. But the rest didn't sound so optimistic. A fully-grown creature reaches thirty centimetres in height and two meters in the wing-spread. A vision of a herd of a hundred grey creatures circling above the Hogwart walls and destroying them systematically made Ron very uneasy.  
  
Hermione had to think about the same since after the lesson she asked Hagrid about how he was going to feed his gluttonous little friends when the supply of stones in the neighbourhood ran out. And considering their appetite it could happen in a month.  
  
Hagrid, who was just building a metal cage around the remnants of the cave, was clearly abashed. It seemed that he had missed that detail. He started to pull his thick, black beard, looking at the grey creatures with a truly paternal affectation.  
  
'Well...' he sighed finally 'Send'em back to Magnus. Will have much food in Norway. I'll write to him...' he hesitated and looked at the gargoyles once more 'But I think I keep one...' he muttered.  
  
Three days after hatching the gargoyles grew and darkened slightly. And still they were hungry. Sitting in front of the hut Hermione and Ron could hear a regular clutter coming from the cage. Hagrid took his eyes off the gargoyles.  
  
'How can I help yeh?' he asked looking from Ron to Hermione 'Maybe I talk to him?' he proposed enthusiastically but he frowned at once 'Nah, can't, leavin' tomorrow...'  
  
'And do you know what I think?' asked Hermione suddenly, watching Hagrid attentively 'That it's somehow connected with You-Know-Who.'  
  
'Him?' Hagrid sounded surprised but Hermione caught a false note in his voice 'Nah, you imagine...'  
  
'Hermione is right,' added Ron 'Not only Harry is in a bad mood. Look at the teachers. Dumbledore seems weary and sullen and almost every day discusses something with professor Starlight. Snape also must worry about something since he has never been so malicious before. And Malfoy? You can deny but we know that something is in the wind. And You-Know-Who is behind it.'  
  
Hagrid mumbled something and started to contemplate a snail crossing the path. Hermione and Ron exchanged the looks and nodded.  
  
'If everything is ok so why you go to Asia every month to guard the behemots?' the asked in unison.  
  
An earthquake together with a cyclone wouldn't make a bigger impression on Hagrid. He turned pale. He stood up. He looked around widely. He sat again. His hands were shaking.  
  
'How...you know?' he whispered hoarsely "Dumbledore kill me...'  
  
He hid his face in his hands and began to sway forwards and backwards moaning like a wounded bear.  
  
'Hagrid, don't worry,' Hermione tried to comfort him 'Only we know the truth.'  
  
'How do you know?' repeated Hagrid staring at the girl with desperation.  
  
'Well,' Hermione couldn't suppress a satisfied smile 'In January we had a lesson about the behemots. When I was writing an essay I had to check something in the 'Bestiarium' and I read that behemots loved the lily bulbs. I remembered at once that we had seen you digging them from the ground.'  
  
'How could be so careless!' howled Hagrid tearing his hair 'What he will say!'  
  
'But it's not your fault,' Ron assured him heartily 'We would guess anyway. Last month when we had come to clean here a bit, I found a silver fur on the floor.'  
  
If Ron wanted to cheer up Hagrid he didn't succeed at all. The Keeper of the Keys hid his head between his knees and began to sob silently.  
  
'Hagrid, calm down,' Hermione sounded concerned 'Let's take a cup of tea.'  
  
Hagrid got up obediently and let them lead him into the hut, completely unaware of what he was doing. Ron seated him in his armchair and Hermione lit the fire under the kettle. After several minutes an aromatic smell filled the room. Hagrid cheered up a bit. Wiping away his tears he reached for a huge mug and drank a small gulp.  
  
'Good tea,' he sobbed 'red, Chinese...' he stopped talking and groaned heart-rendingly.  
  
'Exactly...' whispered Hermione 'For how long have you drunk the Chinese tea?'  
  
Ten minutes had passed before Hagrid calmed down. Ron and Hermione had to swear they would not tell anybody about the behemots.  
  
'Must understand' it's very important' said Hagrid firmly 'Dumbledore 's afraid that You-Know-Who could use'em in the battle. Resistance to magic, see. So I go to'em every month to check i' are safe. They're superb!' he dreamed smiling good-naturedly 'Think we made friends. Would tell me if somebody else was 'ere. I tame'em with lilies,' he added boastfully 'Magnus gave me idea...'  
  
'Magnus?!' cried Hermione and Ron in unison 'You told Devilson about the behemots?!'  
  
'No, o' course not.' Hagrid bridled up 'Who you think I am? Dumbledore forbade. I only asked, in theory, what he would do to tame behemot. An' he told: lilies. He knows animals...'  
  
Ron and Hermione looked at each other uneasily. They were sure that Devilson could guess the truth from the naive questions of Hagrid. But how could he use it? In fact, they didn't know anything about him. Beside a mysterious attitude of Snape and some confusing hints of Sirius, they had no reason to suspect him. But it didn't escape their notice that since the Christmas Magnus Devilson has never come to Hogwart again though the 'Daily Prophet' regularly informed about the visits of the Norwegian experts. What did it mean? Was it connected with the attack on professor Starlight? They had no idea.  
  
But one think was clear. The would feel much more comfortable if Magnus Devilson didn't know that Dumbledore had been guarding so closely the only behemot herd in the world.  
  


* * *

_(May 1st, 1996)_  
  
  
Vega was pacing up and down the Dumbledore's office knocking angrily the furniture she was passing by.  
  
'We cannot agree!' she hissed 'I will not let Devilson into Hogwart!'  
  
Dumbledore sighed and shook his head resignedly.  
  
'You know it doesn't depend on me.' he aid in a weary voice 'It's Minister's order. If I refuse he will close the school. And this is what I cannot allow. Especially now...'  
  
'Does that idiot really believe that the problems with megaports are connected with our defence system?' snorted Vega angrily 'It's rubbish! Nobody in the Department of Teleportation believes that. But our dear minister trusts every opinion of the "famous Norwegian expert". And that is what Devilson wants. He built up this silly theory to get into Hogwart. It's obvious!'  
  
'You're right,' nodded Dumbledore 'I think Magnus realises perfectly well why I refused him to come to Hogwart after what had happened in January. He knows we suspect him.'  
  
Vega stopped and fixed her eyes in Dumbledore.  
  
'That's it,' she snarled 'he knows that but he still plays his game with us. He did his best to get to Hogwart though it's risky for him...' she frowned 'I wish I knew why...'  
  
Dumbledore clasped his hands.  
  
'So do I,' he sighed 'I have a feeling that something bad is going to happen. We must keep our eyes open.'  
  
'In any case I won't take my eyes off him,' said Vega.  
  
Fast steps sounded in the corridor and somebody opened the door without knocking. Vega turned around. It was Snape.  
  
'He has just arrived,' he informed shortly 'and not alone. He is accompanied by Remus Lupin.'  
  
Mentioning the last name Severus couldn't suppress antipathy. He had a biting remark on a tip of his tongue but he restrained himself when he looked at Vega.  
  
'That's great!' exclaimed the witch ignoring a nasty grimace on the Snape's face 'We will finally know what happened to those megaports.'  
  
'Since when Lupin is an expert in teleportation...' Snape couldn't stop himself.  
  
Vega looked at him coldly and she left the office without a word.  
  


. . .

  
The yard looked rather like a colourful and noisy Diagon Alley than like a ground of the school. Two rows of stalls, full of the various stuff, were stretching for hundred meters. In the narrow path between them throngs of the students were pushing, glad that if they couldn't go to Hogsmead this year, Hogsmead came to them instead.  
  
Remus Lupin saw Harry near the sweets' stall. He waved to him but the boy didn't notice. While Ron and Hermione were filling their pockets with the bars of chocolate Harry was staring absent-minded at some distant point on the horizon. A deep concern appeared on Remus' face. He sighed and stared to push through the groups of people. Some of them, recognising a former DADA teacher, greeted him heartily. But there were some, mainly Slytherins, who were whispering between themselves and pointing at the wizard. Remus could hear such words like "werewolf" and "dangerous". Many faces expressed an explicit anxiety.  
  
Lupin tried not to pay attention. He passed a huge stall of Madam Rosmerta and was just approaching the sweet shop when Hermione looked back to tell something to Ron.  
  
'Professor Lupin!' she exclaimed surprised.  
  
Harry came back to the real world at once.  
  
'Remus!' he called jumping up 'What are you doing in Hogwart?!'  
  
Remus smiled.  
  
'I'm here officially' he explained 'You know, I work in the Department of Teleportation and we had some problems there lately. Magnus claims that it can be result of a disturbance caused by the DADS. But don't ask me about details. I'm not a specialist. I was sent with Magnus because our main expert fell ill.'  
  
'Devilson is in Hogwart?' cried Ron and Hermione in unison.  
  
'Yes, he is,' assented Remus looking at them slightly astounded 'He is a supervisor of our group. Oh, he's there,' he pointed towards the castle 'Talking with professor Starlight.'  
  
They looked in the same direction. At the foot of the stairs Vega and Magnus stood discussing something very fiercely. In view of a passionate gesticulation it could come to blows in any moment. Remus moved nervously.  
  
'Vega doesn't like this visit,' he muttered 'And, to tell you the truth, I also don't understand what is the connection between the teleports and the Hogwart defence system... But I didn't want to talk about the job. Harry, what is going on?' he asked with concern watching the boy intently 'I can see you are worried. Your last letters weren't too optimistic either. What happened?'  
  
Harry cast down his eyes. He would like so much to share with somebody everything that came upon him three weeks ago: the fact who he was and the fear it filled him with. He knew, however, that he couldn't do that. He had to bear this burden himself, his cursed inheritance.  
  
'I'm ok.,' he said trying to sound lightly 'I'm just a bit tired. We have loads of learning.'  
  
Remus looked at him searchingly, clearly not convinced.  
  
'Harry, remember you can always count on me,' he said 'And on Sirius, of course. He wanted to come here but it would be too risky now. I brought you a letter from him.'  
  
He pulled pout a yellow envelope and handed it to Harry.  
  
'Here you are. Forgive me, but I have to go now,' he smiled apologetically 'I'd like to talk to Vega. But we will see before my departure, I hope. You will be somewhere here, won't you?'  
  
'Sure!' promised Harry 'I will be waiting.'  
  
'See you later, then' said Remus and moved hastily towards the castle.  
  
'What is Sirius writing?' whispered Hermione looking significantly at the letter in Harry's hand.  
  
'Let's see,' he tore open the envelop and began to read 'He is ok...He wish he could visit us...Oh, he says that...' he ceased suddenly and sneezed.  
  
'Bless you!' shouted Lee Jordan who was just passing by.  
  
'Thank...' gasped Harry and he sneezed again.  
  
'Let's go from here!' commanded Hermione 'It's because of those India incenses they kindled at Madam Rosmerta. I hate this smell. My nose tickled too.'  
  
And all of them moved quickly towards the Hagrid's hut. They had to feed Fang.  
  



	15. Wings of death

15. Wings of death   
  
'What is he doing there?!' growled Vega staring at something attentively 'What Hagrid's hut has to do with the teleports?'  
  
'With the teleports nothing, I think' said Remus 'Devilson mentioned he had a parcel for Rubeus.'  
  
They were sitting on a small hill sloping steeply from the castle walls towards the dark blue lake. Remus could guess why Vega had chosen that place. From here she had a perfect view on the whole school grounds. And on Magnus Devilson. Wherever he went he was followed by the watchful greys eyes.  
  
'Listen...' Remus looked at the witch inquiringly 'What is going on? That distrust about Magnus...I heard in the ministry you didn't want to let him into Hogwart.'  
  
'Sorry but I can't tell you that,' said Vega glumly 'But be careful with him.'  
  
Remus gave her a searching look but he didn't ask anything. He knew it would be pointless. Suddenly a great shadow flitted over the ground as if sun had been covered by a quickly moving cloud. Remus rose his head.  
  
'What's this?' he asked with half-shut eyes, staring intently at something large and dark-grey that was circling over the castle performing complicated evolutions.  
  
'Gargoyles,' muttered Vega not taking her eyes off Devilson who has just finished chatting with Harry and was slowly going back towards the castle 'Hagrid bred them. We let them fly once a day to stretch their wings.'  
  
'Ah, yes, I remember Harry mentioned about it in his letter,' said Remus observing the evolutions of the herd 'Oh, I forgot!' Remus tapped his forehead 'Magnus brought a sack of feed for the gargoyles.'  
  
'How nice of him...' sneered Vega smiling nastily 'But if he thinks he will cheat us he is very wrong. His friendship with Hagrid seemed always very suspicious to me. I will talk to Hagrid when he comes back. But now,' she looked at Remus 'tell me what exactly happened with the teleports.'  
  
'Well...' began Remus staring thoughtfully at the clouds sailing through the sky 'It's a queer affair. As you know, the Ministry has at its disposal seven megaports in different parts of the country. For several months he have been observing them very closely since we suspect that the poachers use them to smuggle the dragons from the Scandinavian Dragons Reserve. Magnus proposed to connect the megaports, ours and the Norwegian ones. This way we can made them to lead a poacher directly to the main megaport in the inner yard of the Ministry.'  
  
'Clever' muttered Vega though a tone of her voice made it clear that Magnus couldn't take it as a compliment.  
  
'Two days ago we made a test,' continued Remus 'It seemed that everything was going right...and suddenly something went bust. The megaports stopped to work. As if all their energy had been detached...' he shook his head thoughtfully 'It lasted no more than a few seconds but it disturbed us a bit. The wizards who has been working in the Ministry for years says that it had never happened before.'  
  
'You're right, it's queer,' said Vega 'But I'm sure that the Dark Arts Detection System couldn't cause such a disturbance. It's nonsense invented by Devilson.'  
  
'But what for?' sighed Remus 'I don't understand...'  
  
'THAT doesn't surprise me' drawled a cold voice.  
  
Vega turned round impetuously though she knew perfectly well who had said those words. She wasn't wrong. Snape was standing several steps of them and was looking at Lupin with an unfeigned antipathy.  
  
'Ah, Severus,' smiled Remus getting up 'Nice to see you again.'  
  
An ironic smile was playing on Snape's lips and he was just opening his mouth to say something when Vega joined it.  
  
'What do you want?' she asked dryly 'If it's not anything urgent be so kind and go back to your own things.'  
  
A sneering smile vanished from the Snape's face.  
  
'Dumbledore wants to see you, Lupin,' he growled.  
  
Remus nodded and turned to Vega.  
  
'I hope my information will be useful. If...' he stopped talking suddenly and fixed his eyes on something in the sky 'What are they doing...' an anxiety twinkled in his amber eyes.  
  
Vega and Severus followed his gaze. The herd of gargoyles was circling over the Hagrid's hut performing strange, incoordinate movements. And suddenly, without any warning, it swooped down like a large, black arrow.  
  
'Potter!' cried Snape who as the first noticed what, or rather who, was the aim of the gargoyles.  
  
Harry didn't even have time to understand what was going on. In a moment he was surrounded by a grey, peeping mass, bat-like wings were hitting his face. And then he felt a prick. A beak, sharp as a knife, stuck in his leg. A second later the next gargoyle attacked him, and the next one, and the next... All over his body he felt deadly pricks, piercing, tearing the muscles and reaching the bones. He covered his face with the hands, unable to move, unable to emit a sound. The last thing he remembered was the hundreds of red, hungry eyes, surrounding him from every direction, still closer and closer.  
  
Before Severus' cry died out Vega transformed into a goshawk and with a terrific speed she shot towards the whirling cloud of the wings. Remus and Snape ran after her.  
  
In the same moment Ron and Hermione rushed out from behind the hut, followed by frightened Fang. At the sight of the frantic herd they stood rooted to the ground with a pure dread on their pale faces.  
  
'Harry!' screamed Hermione shrilly rushing desperately towards the gargoyles.  
  
Suddenly a hand grabbed her shoulder and pulled her back.  
  
'Go away from here!' Vega shouted imperatively pointing her wand at the creatures 'Both of you! Inside!'  
  
Hermione wanted to protest but she met a stern look of the witch, she nodded and dragging along shocked Ron she disappeared behind the hut's door.  
  
Vega rose her wand.  
  
'_Impedimenta_!' she cried.  
  
Several gargoyles froze in the air and fell inertly to the ground. But the spell couldn't penetrate deep into the dense mass of the grey bodies.  
  
'_Immobilarius_!' yelled Vega.  
  
This time the effect was the same. The Auror swore. Hasty steps rumbled on a rocky path and Remus and Snape ran, panting, on the glade.  
  
'Freezing Spell...' gasped Severus 'Ice can crush the stone...'  
  
'Right!' Vega tapped her forehead 'Let's attack together. It will magnify the power of the spell. Now!!!'  
  
'_Glaciari_ !' they cried in unison.  
  
Three light-blue jets shot from three wands and hit the whirling herd, covering it with a thin ice shell. And as the spell was reaching deeper and deeper, the gargoyles became motionless and fell to the ground shattering into hundreds of the small pieces.  
  
'Harry!' called Remus dashing towards a pile of the ice bits colouring red at the bottom.  
  
He pushed aside a cold mass and next moment he almost screamed. On wet grass a huge ice block was lying and inside, frozen in a convulsive twitch, a massacred, blood-stained body of Harry was embedded.  
  
Remus was looking at it without a word, ghastly pale. Slowly, not knowing exactly what he was doing, he reached for his wand.  
  
'Wait!' a horse voice of Vega seemed to be coming from a deep well' If he is alive...if he was alive in the moment when the spell hit...it's better not to unfreeze him.'  
  
Remus rose his head and looked at the witch. His eyes were full of despair.  
  
'Why...?' he whispered 'Why did they do that?'  
  
'We'll think about it later,' Snape interrupted him sharply 'Now we have to take Potter to the hospital wing as quickly as possible.'  
  
'You're right,' said Remus firmly, getting up 'I'll do that.'  
  
He waved his wand and the ice block rose noiselessly into the air. The wizard pointed at it and moved hastily towards the castle, followed by Ron and Hermione who were looking as if they had just face Lord Voldemort himself. Midway they met a crowd of students who would have run to the Hagrid hut much earlier if the teachers hadn't intervened.  
  
Minerva McGonagall ran to Remus. Her blue hat slipped on her ear but the witch didn't notice.  
  
'What happened?!' she shrieked feverishly.  
  
Remus pointed at the frozen Harry without stopping. Professor McGonagall moaned, staggered and she would fall if Magnus Devilson didn't support her. The witch stared at him vacantly, she put straight her glasses and suddenly, as if she realised what had really happened, she ran after Remus.  
  
Magnus followed her with his eyes, he turned back and moved in the opposite direction. He could see Vega and Snape bent over the remnants of the proud gargoyles. Strange twinkles, full of hatred, glinted in Magnus' grey eyes. They didn't match completely to his handsome face but it made them only more terrific.  
  
At the sound of the approaching steps the wizard rose their heads and leapt into their feet, reaching for the wands. Snape's face twisted in expression of rage and Vega looked at Devilson as if she was dreaming about the casting the Cruciatus Curse on him.  
  
Not paying attention to them Magnus approached the melting pile. He bent and picked up one ice bit, watching it with the expression of disbelief on his face. And as the cold water was dripping between his fingers a deep grief in his eyes was turning into a tearing rage.  
  
'Barbarians!' he hissed fixing his burning gaze on Vega and Severus 'How could you murder so brutally a hundred of innocent creatures!'  
  
The wizards stood aghast. Snape gnashed his teeth.  
  
'If you didn't notice,' he drawled icily 'those innocent creatures have just attack a student.'  
  
'It's not a reason to kill them!' shrieked Magnus with a wild twinkle in his eyes 'But how little are worth the lives of gargoyles if we come to famous Harry Potter!'  
  
'Not only to Potter, Devilson,' said Vega coldly 'If anybody else had been on his place we would have done the same. But I'm glad you mentioned it...' she smiled ominously 'because I was just wondering why the gargoyles had attacked just Harry and nobody else. And why did it happened at the very day when YOU, due to your shady intrigues, were at Hogwart?'  
  
This time Magnus looked amazed.  
  
'What are you talking about?' he asked hostilely 'You think that I incited the gargoyles against Potter?'  
  
'We will see...' said Vega lengthily 'You will drink _Veritaserum_ and tell us everything.'  
  
'You have no right!' snarled Devilson still a bit uneasy.  
  
'Haven't I?' hissed the Auror pulling out her wand.  
  
'Wait!' a strict voice called.  
  
Everybody looked at the same direction. Albus Dumbledore was approaching them his wand in his hand.  
  
'Headmster!' called Vega taking a step forwards 'I think we should...'  
  
'No, professor Starlight,' Dumbledore shook his head 'No one will pass sentences here until we know what really happened.'  
  
'Finally someone reasonable,' muttered Devilson.  
  
Vega looked livid. She wanted to protest but Dumbledore enjoined silence.  
  
'Magnus,' he said dryly looking piercingly at the wizard 'I think you have already dealt with your business in Hogwart.'  
  
Devilson turned pale and his face twisted in expression of helpless fury.  
  
'You will pay for it!' he pointed at the wet stain on the grass, his eyes burning with loathing 'I swear you will!'  
  
He spat Snape under foot and without a word, without turning back, he moved towards the gate.  
  


. . .

  
'How is he?' asked softly Dumbledore looking at bandaged Harry with a deep concern.  
  
Madam Pomfrey sighed and wiped away her tears.  
  
'He's sleeping, poor boy...' she sobbed 'After such a dose of _Vivimortis_ it will take long before he recovers. It's horrible...' her voice broke off.  
  
'Poppy, he is alive, that is the most important,' said Dumbledore 'When I saw him right after unfreezing, with all those wounds...' he shuddered at the very memory 'I thought it was too late. That HE finally caught him...'  
  
'He?!' a terror glinted in Madam Pomfrey's eyes 'You mean...You-Know-Who?'  
  
Dumbledore nodded mournfully.  
  
'And who else hates that boy so much?' he sighed heavily.  
  
He looked at Harry once more and he left the room. The corridors were plunged in darkness but Dumbledore didn't use his wand. He didn't need light. Nobody knew the old castle as well as he did. He was going along the empty corridors lost in thoughts. He knew why Voldemort wanted to kill Harry. The question was: how.  
  
He stopped in front of the door to the Snape's office and knocked.  
  
'Come in' a voice came from inside.  
  
Dumbledore entered the room. Vega and Severus were bending over the table spread with complicated machinery. Multicoloured potions were bubbling in the glass burettes connected with a system of thin pipes. Some of the mixtures were thick and muddy while the others looked rather like a colourful gas then a liquid. The biggest vase stood on a metal support and fire was blazing under it. On a chair lay Harry's clothes, full of holes made by the sharp gargoyles' beaks.  
  
'Anything new?' asked Dumbledore approaching the table.  
  
'This,' said Snape triumphantly rising carefully a small bottle.  
  
At its bottom a bright powder settled, shimmering in the fire-light.  
  
'It's calcite' explained Severus 'A popular mineral but doesn't occur in the Hogwart surroundings. Whereas this,' he showed the bottle 'we found in the Potter's clothe.'  
  
'And what's interesting,' added Vega 'the gargoyles love calcite. To get it they can reduce to ashes the hardest rock.'  
  
Dumbledore understood at once.  
  
'It means that somebody sprinkled Harry with that powder expecting that the gargoyles would attack him. And he was right... But who can use such subtle methods?'  
  
'Devilson!' hissed Snape 'he brought a sack of calcite to Hogwart today. He talked to Potter, Weasley and Granger. We found a small amount of the powder on their clothes, too.'  
  
'I suppose that now we have enough reasons to investigate Devilson?' said Vega.  
  
Dumbledore was standing silent for a while and then he nodded gravely.  
  
'Yes,' he said firmly 'Now we have. I give you full liberty.'  
  
Auror's eyes shone. In the same moment somebody knocked at the door. The wizards looked surprised at each other. They didn't expect anybody else.  
  
'Come in!' barked Snape.  
  
It was Minerva McGonagall.  
  
'Here you are, Albus,' she sighed with relief 'I'm sorry to disturb you but I have just received an urgent message from the Ministry of Magic. Imagine' she stared at them gravely 'that Magnus Devilson disappeared.'  
  



	16. Old friendship

16. Old friendship   
  
_(May 26th, 1996)_  
  
The sun was setting. Dumbledore was walking up and down his office segregating the piles of papers put on the table and chairs. For the dozens of years a lot of them accumulated but the wizard oriented himself perfectly in the paper chaos. Whistling silently a melancholic melody he was systematically looking through the papers and directed them to the proper piles. He usually started to set his papers in order when he had to think something over.  
  
And it was much to think about. Harry was still in the hospital wing. His wounds were healing fast and Madam Pomfrey assured that in a month only scars would be left. But Harry was very wasted by all the potions he has been fed for weeks. And he still couldn't recover from the shock of the unexpected gargoyles' attack.  
  
Fortunately, he was not alone. Ron and Hermione would stay with him day and night if Dumbledore hadn't forbidden them to miss their lessons. But every day they spend several hours in the hospital wing trying to cheer up Harry and divert his attention from the gloomy thoughts.  
  
Also Sirius has been in Hogwart for three weeks. Dumbledore called him since he thought that nowadays Harry should have with him some very close friend, somebody who could be like a parent for him. And so a great, black dog appeared in the castle what made Snape really angry.  
  
Dumbledore looked at the next paper and he stirred. It was a letter or rather two letters clipped together. The wizard was staring at them for a moment with a strange musing as if they rose some sad memories. He sighed, sat in the armchair and began to read the first one.  
  
_'29.11.1973  
Dear Professor Dumbledore  
I would give everything not to write to you in that matter but the fate wanted differently. A great tragedy affected our family. Yesterday my sister Annie died. We have been worrying about her for months, she was very weak and she seemed to be afraid of something but nobody expected the worst. She just didn't wake up... I wrote to my son. It would be better if he tells Vega about it, they always understood each other so well. I ask you also to release them from Hogwart for a week. The funeral will be on Thursday. Yours faithfully  
Rose Black'  
  
_ Dumbledore sighed and stared at the purple-gold evening glow. Annie Starlight... From depths of memory loomed a picture of a young woman with fair, wavy hair and thoughtful, a bit sad look of the grey eyes.  
  
He reached for the second piece of parchment. It was very crumpled. The handwriting was crabbed and blurred as if the author wrote it in a great haste. The wizard read:  
  
_'Professor Dumbledore! I beg you to guard my daughter. I cannot protect her any longer. Don't let...'  
  
_ The last word was very crabbed and finished with a long streak of ink as if Annie couldn't hold a quill.  
  
Dumbledore put both letters aside and rubbed his eyes. They expressed weariness and a bitter irony.  
  
'Forgive me, Annie' he whispered 'But I cannot either.'  


. . .

  
Vega leant against a wall of the northern tower staring intently at the darkness. The sky was full of stars. She could feel a soft breath of air on her face and a silent rippling of water was coming from the lake below.  
  
The night was quiet and still but Vega couldn't share those feelings. Not now when everything seemed to indicate that the storm was coming. The curse of Draco Malfoy, the gargoyles' attack, the Devilson's disappearance. She was sure that Voldemort would assail soon.  
  
Special Forces have been ready. And additional squad has been sent to Azkaban. Dumbledore didn't trust Dementors and he suspected that Voldemort would like to free his most faithful servants.  
  
Even in the Ministry they started to worry. Vega couldn't believe her eyes when Cornelius Fudge himself had come to Hogwart four days ago. He was nervous and ready to forget all disagreements as long as Vega sends on of the Aurors' squad to protect the Ministry.  
  
There was also information provided by Snape. Voldemort didn't tell him much about his plans but even from those misty hints it appeared clearly that the Dark Lord was preparing himself to the final battle.  
  
Vega frowned. Snape... She has been thinking a lot of him lately. She knew how much he risked playing his double play. She appreciated that. She always set a high value on courage and character. She also admired his talent and erudition. He impressed her when he solved the riddle of the gargoyles' behaviour.  
  
Yes, Remus was right, they used to be very close to each other. And it wasn't only because of the common interests...  
  
_***(December 25th, 1973)  
  
The Christmas morning was beautiful. There was no cloud on the blue sky and fresh snow covered the school grounds with a flaky, shimmering coat.  
  
The Great Hall was the most beautiful place in the castle. Four long tables disappeared. Twelve high, spreading, decorated Christmas trees stood under the walls. One tree, the highest and the most proud of all, had been put in the middle of the room.  
  
At the common table teachers and students were sitting who decided to spend holidays at Hogwart. There were only eight of them. Next to Dumbledore sat professor McGonagall wearing emerald robes. On her left Hagrid was filling a huge goblet with golden liquor. Three students were Ravenclaws. Absorbed in conversation they didn't pay attention to the youngest participants of the breakfast.  
  
On Dumbledore's right hand side Vega Starlight was sitting, her head lowered. She was very pale and seemed not to be aware what was going on around her. Dumbledore tried to talk to her but since she kept answering in monosyllables without even rising her eyes he finally left her alone.  
  
Opposite the girl sat a slim boy with a pale, sallow face and long, dark, greasy hair. Every now and then he his black, piercing eyes rested on Vega and then they twinkled with something like compassion.  
  
The breakfast elapsed in a nice, domestic atmosphere. When everybody had already eaten their fill Dumbledore wished them Merry Christmas and gave a sing that the official part was over. The Ravenclaws run out from the Hall immediately and after several minutes their laughter came from the yard.  
  
Dumbledore smiled to the dark-hair boy who was also just about to leave.  
  
'What are your plans for such a beautiful day, Severus?' he asked heartily 'But don't tell me that you're going to spend it in the library.'  
  
'I just intended to do that,' answered the boy seriously.  
  
He bowed to the professors and moved towards the door. Dumbledore looked at Vega and a deep concern filled his eyes. He put gently a hand on her arm.  
  
'Vega, maybe we will walk to Hogsmead?' he asked softly.  
  
The girl shook her head not taking her eyes off the table-top.  
  
'I...I think I will go to dormitory' she whispered, she stood up and left the Hall.  
  
Professor McGonagall followed her with her eyes and sighed.  
  
'I'm worry about her, Albus,' she said 'She shrinks into herself more and more. Hardly ever talks to anybody. Sirius says she can sit in the armchair endlessly, staring at the fire.'  
  
'I also don't know what to do,' said Dumbledore sadly 'She stifles everything in herself. Well, time is the healer of all ills. Let's hope that it will allay Vega's pain.'  
_

. . .

  
_After leaving the Great Hall Vega went to the Gryffindor dormitory. The fire was burning merrily in the fireplace filling the common room with a warm, yellow light.  
  
Vega passed the room and climbed up the winding stairs leading to the bedroom. She stood for a while at the door, undecided, as if she didn't know what to do. At last she approached the window and sat on the parapet. After a nice morning the day turned out cloudy and it was snowing. Vega was staring at the whirling flakes, her grey eyes full of infinite grief and hopelessness. She leant head on the window and fell asleep.  
  
She was woken up by a soft clatter at the glass. She looked sleepily through the window and saw a large, brown owl. The bird was flapping its wings heavily, fighting against the strong wind to remain on the same height.  
  
'Hermes!'  
  
Vega opened the window and let the owl inside. The bird sat on the parapet and fluffed its feathers from the snow. After tiding itself up it approached the girl, stroked her gently with its beak and rose its left leg. Vega detached the letter and caressed the owl's head.  
  
'You must be hungry,' she said ' Go down. There are cakes on the table.'  
  
Hermes stroked her again and silently flew out from the room. Vega opened the white envelope and started to read mechanically. Aunt Rose wished her Marry Christmas and repeated for the hundredth time that if only Vega wanted they would take her from Hogwart at once. On a separate sheet of paper she recognised Sirius' scrawls. She put the letters into the drawer with a bitter smile and she sank on the bed with eyes fixed on the ceiling.  
  
For a while she was remembering old, happy times. But the memory of her mother was so painful that she forced herself to thing about something else. And she decided to do her homework.  
  
She got up and pulled out from the drawer a few empty parchments, a quill and several books and went down to the common room. She drew a table near the fireplace and began to write an essay about the Magical Assemblies in the XVth century. When she had finished she opened a Potion textbook. She read the chapter about the Insensibilizing Potions and remembered that wanted to check something in the library. She left the room and moved through the empty, silent corridors. Now, when most of the students had left for the holidays, the castle seemed to be completely deserted. Even the ghost visited their friends in the other parts of the country and Peeves didn't give sign of life.  
  
Vega pushed the wooden door of the library and stopped, unpleasantly surprised. She didn't expect to meet anybody here. Even Madam Pince, the witch who administered the library, had left closing with a powerful Blocking Spell the entrance to the Restricted Book section. But at the table near the window Severus Snape was sitting. A huge, old, black covered book was lying in front of him.  
  
At the sound of the opening door he rose his head and fixed his piercing eyes on Vega. The girl ignored him and went to the high shelf in the Potions section. She pulled out a thick volume of the 'Insensibilizing Potions' and burrowed at the small table in the corner of the room. From that place she couldn't see Snape and she was very glad of it.  
  
She began to study the chapter about the mixtures that allowed to suppress fear. The recipes were extremely complex and the preparing of the brew seemed very complicated. Absorbed in lecture she didn't hear the approaching steps and almost jumped when suddenly somebody put a huge book on her table. Vega rose her eyes and saw Severus Snape. The boy was tapping his fingers at the volume and a mysterious smile was playing on his thin lips.  
  
'What do you want?' asked Vega hostilely in a very impatient voice.  
  
She didn't want any company and most of all she didn't want to talk with that Slytherin who was the greatest enemy of Sirius.  
  
Severus didn't stop smiling. He looked at the Vega's book.  
  
'Insensibilizing Potions...' he said 'I heard that the most interesting ones they didn't teach in Hogwart. Too much Dark Arts,' he added significantly.  
  
In Vega's eyes, though still full of antipathy, an interest shone.  
  
'How do you know it? she asked trying to sound indifferently.  
  
Severus brought the chair and sat at the opposite side of the table.  
  
'Well, I know quite lot about the Dark Arts,' he said lazily.  
  
Vega was staring at him with a growing curiosity. Snape was known for his fascination of the darkest side of magic. At his first-year he had already known many hexes and curses that had been taught at Hogwart at the last year. Vega believed he had to learn them at home. But nobody knew anything about Snape's family beside the fact his parents was wizards.  
  
Severus stared to glance through his book.  
  
'I read something about the Insensibilizers,' he muttered 'Here! Many of them are the advanced Dark Arts. Of course, they don't give recipes,' he smiled sourly.  
  
'What book is it?' asked Vega inclining over the table.  
  
'The Dark Arts in Outline.' said Severus proudly 'Everything I know I read here. It's a real knowledge, not that rubbish they teach us at the Defence,' he snorted scornfully.  
  
'Are the curses described here?' Vega was looking hypnotised at the book.  
  
'Only the simplest ones. But even those you will never learn at Hogwart. Some of them are really interesting...' he smiled mysteriously.  
  
'Can you cast them?' asked Vega silently.  
  
Snape nodded.  
  
'And not only those. I saw several books with much more complicated curses. Most of them very extremely difficult but I managed to master a few. If you want,' he looked piercingly at Vega 'I can teach you them.'  
  
The girl stared at him totally bewildered. She expected Snape to burst out laughing but he was very serious.  
  
'But before you have to swear you will not tell anybody,' he said firmly 'Dumbledore forbade me to use Dark Arts at Hogwart. That book I can read only in the library.'  
  
Vega was still staring at him and could hardly believe her ears.  
  
'So, do you want?' asked the boy impatiently.  
  
Vega nodded but she couldn't say a word.  
  
'Remember, don't tell anybody,' repeated Severus 'Especially your dear brother,' hatred glinted in his black eyes 'Let's meet at midnight in the Charms classroom.' he looked at Vega and smiled ironically 'Or maybe you are afraid of walking through the castle at night?'  
  
Vega snorted.  
  
'No, I don't' she said firmly 'I will come, for sure.'  
  
'See you at midnight, then' said Severus, he closed 'The Dark Arts in Outline' and moved towards the door.  
  
'Wait!' called Vega.  
  
Severus turned round.  
  
'I wanted to ask you something,' said the girl resolutely 'Why...Why do you want to teach me Dark Arts?'  
  
The pale face of Snape didn't change its expression but somewhere in his black, fathomless eyes a grief twinkled. He looked at Vega, hesitated.  
  
'Because I know how it is when you don't have mother,' he said finally and left the room.***_  
  
Vega sighed. They were so close to each other...  
  
'Why did you destroy everything, Severus?' she whispered bitterly.  
  



	17. Worst memories

17. Worst memories   
  
Snape was watching a bubbling mixture with satisfaction. It went better than he could expect. From the beginning he suspected hydra venom would be a component of the _Morsanguis_ Potion most difficult to get. He knew it wasn't an easy task. Hydra's seats had been closely monitoring by the Ministry. The venom was too powerful poison to let it fall into the wrong hands. Even Milagros didn't want to undertake such a risky work.  
  
But meanwhile the solution came as a blessing. Who could have foreseen that Albus Dumbledore himself would ask for a supply of hydra venom. Severus smiled gloomily. What's an irony... And how unexpected profit from the gargoyles' attack. No one else but Snape prepared several bottles of _Vivimortis_ antidote that helped to save Potter. And no one else but the Potion Master 'took care' of a few drops of the hydra venom which had left on the bottom.  
  
Severus removed the cauldron from the fire, stirred the mixture and nodded with content. It was almost ready. There was only one component left...  


. . .

  
Snape was climbing up the winding stairs of the northern tower, counting the steps - a habit from the school times. He pushed a wooden door and entered an open terrace, breathing a cool air. He always liked that place. He often spent a whole night on the tower, lost in thoughts and memories.  
  
Something moved behind his back and Severus realised that somebody else was on the terrace. He turned round and saw a figure leant on the wall. He recognised her at once.  
  
'Vega...' he said surprised 'I didn't know you were here. Sorry, I'm leaving already...'  
  
'You can stay,' said the witch still watching the night scenery 'You don't disturb me.'  
  
Severus hesitated but then he approached the wall on the opposite side of the terrace. For several minutes nobody spoke. Finally Severus took his eyes off dark water of the lake and looked at Vega.  
  
'I like this tower,' he said softly 'I always have a feeling that I could see the whole world from here.'  
  
'Yes, a view is really splendid,' said the Auror.  
  
Severus crossed the terrace and stood next to her.  
  
'Do you remember when he were here together for the last time?' he asked gently.  
  
Vega turned round, her eyes were burning.  
  
'Do I remember?' she hissed looking at Snape piercingly 'How could I forget?!'  
  
_***(June 30th, 1978)  
  
'Sev, I don't know how I would bear next year at Hogwart' said Vega desperately 'Without you, without Sirius. I will be bored stiff.'  
  
'It won't be so bad,' smiled Snape. 'I'll leave you 'The Dark Arts in Outline'...though you know it by heart. Besides I will be writing.'  
  
'It's not the same,' Vega was still disconsolate 'People from my class are ok. but none of them would ever go out from the dormitory at night. I will not even mention casting the forbidden curses.'  
  
Severus became serious at once.  
  
'Vega, you must promise,' he said firmly putting his hand on the girl's shoulder 'that you will not try to reflect Avada Kedavra any more. Don't use this curse at all, even with the spiders.'  
  
Determination glinted in his black eyes. Vega was looking at him without a word.  
  
'I have enough of the Killing Curse by now,' she said finally 'Though I still believe that it was worth to take risk...to convince myself...'  
  
Severus stared at her gloomily with a strange pain.  
  
'You don't know how I felt then,' he said dully 'When you were lying on the floor, blood-stained. I thought you were dead. And that's why I want you to promise,' his fingers clenched on Vega's arm 'that you will not try it again.'  
  
Vega gazed at him slightly amazed and something like tenderness twinkled in her grey eyes. She turned round and looked over the walls.  
  
'All right, Sev,' she said 'But you will promise me something, too. Swear that when you leave Hogwart you will not join the Death Eaters.'  
  
The silence fell. Vega was still staring at the sky.  
  
'What are you talking about?' asked Snape at last.  
  
Vega laughed sneeringly.  
  
'Are you surprised I ask about it?' she turned round impetuously and fixed her burning eyes on Severus 'I overheard Dumbledore. Last years dozen or so Slytherins joined Voldemort. I'm sure Malfoy was one of them. And he is you mate. Beside some people from your class don't even conceal what they are going to do after Hogwart.'  
  
'And what of it?' Severus bridled up 'It doesn't mean I will do the same. Beside, it was you not them who studied the Dark Arts with me. YOU used an Unforgivable Curse against Lucius. So maybe I could ask YOU whether you're going to join the Death Eaters.'  
  
Vega's face twisted in rage. She pushed back from the wall and began to pace through the terrace, every now and then casting a dark look at Severus.  
  
'If you want to know' she said dryly 'I can see no reason to join Lord Voldemort. To get power? I don't need any master for that. The Dark Arts fascinate me for themselves. They're splendid since are difficult and need character, obstinacy, courage. I will study them without the Dark Lord and who knows, maybe one day I become as powerful as him.'  
  
She paused and stopped suddenly. Snape was looking at her like bewitched with an expression of mingled bewilderment and admiration on his face.  
  
'I wouldn't surprise if you do that,' he said 'I always knew you had great talents Don't quarrel,' he said conciliatorily 'this is the last evening.'  
  
'Promise?' asked Vega persistently though a look of here grey eyes was much warmer.  
  
Severus smiled.  
  
'Vi, don't you know I'll do everything for you?' he came near the girl and hugged her 'I promise.' he said softly and kissed her.***_  
  
'And where are your promises now?' drawled the Auror with an icy sneer 'You swore, in that place, you would never become a Death Eater. And what?!' she grasped Snape's arm and roughly pulled up a sleeve of his robes. 'Here is the proof how much your words are worth !'  
  
Severus turned pale and moved back his hand. He has never seen in Vega's eyes so much hatred and contempt. What could he tell her? He couldn't change the past.  
  
'They told me to forgive you' Vega's soft voice was cold as a breath of death 'You betrayed Voldemort, didn't you? You returned on our side' she laughed gloomily 'You deserves the second chance...'  
  
She turned round and looked at the starry sky. Severus was silent.  
  
'I could forgive you many things, Severus,' whispered Vega 'Your service for the Dark Lord, tortures, death of those poor Muggle. Meralin's Beard!' she cried desperately 'I would even forgive you that you had been at Remus house that night! If he was able to forget maybe I also could. But there is something I will never forgive you' she turned back, her half-closed eyes were piercing Snape like two silver blades 'That you became a Death Eater though you had promised me you wouldn't.'  
  
Severus was looking at her, pale and rigid. His face expressed deep bitterness and resignation.  
  
'I promised, that's true,' he said softly in a flat voice 'I believed, like you did, that I would keep my word. But then I became a Death Eater...' he sighed and looked sadly at the witch 'You never asked me why I did it...'  
  
'Does it matter?' snarled Vega though there was something in Snape's black eyes that made her to shudder 'You just did it.'  
  
Snape smiled gloomily.  
  
'Maybe it really doesn't matter,' he said dryly 'But I will tell you. I want you to know. Maybe then you will...will be able to forgive me.'  
  
Vega looked surprised but she didn't say a word.  
  
'As you remember, we left Hogwart next morning after our last meeting,' said Snape without emotion 'The same evening I was at home. Old, gloomy castle...' he sighed heavily 'But still home. When I apparated on the yard the first thing I noticed was a strange, unnatural silence. No bird was singing, I couldn't hear the ghuls howling. As if the whole world has been expecting something horrible... I looked around and my heart sank. The yard looked as if the storm had attacked it. Everywhere there were lying crushed stones, broken furniture and lot of other objects, clearly thrown from the upper windows. In the middle of the yard a pyre was burning. I came closer and saw charred covers of the books, the only things left from our splendid library. Full of fear and the worst feelings I run upstairs and dashed into my mother's room. She was there...' his voice shook 'She was lying in a pool of blood, on the floor soiled with the muddy shoes. I couldn't believe my eyes. I approached her and then...I saw a wooden picket stuck in her heart...' he stopped talking and clenched his fingers on the wall.  
  
Vega was staring at him horror-struck.  
  
'I knew who had killed my mother,' continued Snape 'Only a Muggle could invent a picket. They believe that it's a way of killing a vampire,' an expression of mournful sneer appeared on his face.  
  
'But...why?' whispered Vega.  
  
Severus sighed.  
  
'My mother used to engage in the Dark Arts,' he said 'And she often needed a blood... No, not human one,' he added hastily at the look of Vega's eyes 'Animal blood was enough. Cows and sheep used to disappear... And people in the village started to believe that the vampires lived in the Devil's Nest. I don't know what was a direct cause of their action,' he said sadly 'But one day they decided to finish the inhabitants of castle once for ever.'  
  
The wind blew and clouds came from the east, covering the stars.  
  
'I knew when to look for the murderers,' Snape's black eyes flashed fit hatred 'I apparated in the village and I asked about the men who had killed the vampire. Three Muggles, completely drunk, rolled out from the inn. The had still dry mud and blood on their shoes. I pulled out my wand and ...' he laughed horribly 'And next day I visited Lucius Malfoy and told him I wanted to join the Death Eaters. Now you know everything,' he finished looking at Vega.  
  
Th witch was horror-struck, her grey eyes were piercing at Snape as if she wanted to see through him.  
  
'Sev...' she said dully 'Why did you never tell me...?'  
  
Snape was silently staring at the floor.  
  
'WHY?!' cried Vega, seizing his arm an shaking him furiously 'If I had known... I would have understood! I lost my mother too!'  
  
Severus couldn't say if there was more anger or despair in her voice.  
  
'I wanted ...' he whispered 'Believe me, there was nothing I wished so much as to share that horrible burden with someone who was so close to me as you were...'  
  
'So why didn't you do that?' Vega's voice shook.  
  
Snape smiled with a grief.  
  
'So many times I started to write a letter,' he said softly 'But then I always tore it since I thought I had no right to burden you with my problems. And then...' he sighed 'It was too late. I was too far in this. I was infatuated with hatred to Muggles, I believed in a historic mission of Lord Voldemort. I even wanted to win you over our side, with your talent you would achieve a lot,' he muttered 'But then you decided to be an Auror. And when you found out I was a Death Eater... I thought our ways parted for ever.' he sighed heavily 'Two years has passed. I was higher and higher in hierarchy, closer and closer to Lord Voldemort. That night when we appeared in the Lupins' house... I didn't know where we were going and why. Only when Sigismund Lupin arrived I understood. I never liked Remus but seeing his mother's body and massacred father I felt very uneasy. Then, unexpectedly, at least for me, Lord Voldemort apparated. He asked whether a guest had already arrived. It was clear we were waiting for somebody else... It was a full-moon. I knew Remus was a wolf. Lord told me to bring him from a cellar. I went down, thick walls muffled sounds perfectly and I didn't know what was happening upstairs. When I came back I saw you. I was petrified. And something broke in me. You were looking at us with such hatred... I felt like a trash.' he paused and rubbed his eyes 'Three weeks later I went to Dumbledore and told him I wanted to be his spy.'  
  
He could feel Vega's fingers sticking harder and harder in his arm but he didn't do anything to stop it. Now, when he had finally thrown out from himself everything he had been stifling for so many years, he felt somehow free and cleared. He took a deep breath and looked at the witch. His eyes, always so clod, now twinkled with tenderness.  
  
Suddenly a fiery bird shot over the tower and a shrill whistle cut a silence. Astonished wizards rose their heads.  
  
'It's Fawkes,' said Vega looking at the circling phoenix with a growing anxiety 'Something must have happened.'  
  
They run down the winding stairs and rushed to the Headmaster office. They found him pacing nervously up and down the room, his eyes fixed on a map hanging above the table.  
  
'I have just talked to the Minister,' he informed them 'All megaports ceased to work. All energy had been cut from them. And this time it doesn't look like a short break-down.'  
  
'What, the hell, it means?' Snape asked the question that bothered them all.  
  
Heavy steps sounded on the stairs and office door opened with a bang. Hagrid was standing on the threshold, pale and shaking.  
  
'Behemots...' he gasped out, breathing heavily and looking round with a terrified eyes 'Behemots disappeared!'  
  
The wizard looked at each other.  
  
'So it has begun!' said Dumbledore dully 'Now Voldemort can attack in any moment.'  
  



	18. Battle of Azkaban

18. Battle of Azkaban    
  
_(June 1st, 1996)_  
  
Harry was chewing the last bit of an apple pie in a gloomy silence, his mind wandering somewhere very far. Hermione was watching him with anxiety, sighing every now and then. Ron was picking in pudding with his fork. No one was speaking. No one was smiling. Even the Weasley twins were strangely quiet.  
  
Not only the Gryffindors were depressed. Unrest spread to everybody and the Great Hall was deadly silent. And everything started five days ago when Dumbledore informed the students that they must be prepared for the possibility of an attack on Hogwart. And though there were nobody who would believe that Voldemort could get to the school grounds, weariness and sorrow in the old wizard's eyes could rouse fear even in the most trustful heart. Some parents decided to take their children form the castle bur most believed that Hogwart is still the safest place on the world.  
  
And so for several days the castle was a quiet place. The meals have never been passing in such a mournful silence. And if anybody wanted to take heart at the teachers' table, he wouldn't have chosen the best. Dumbledore was sitting lost in thoughts, every now and then casting the students with a sad gaze. Vega Starlight, if she came to the Hall at all, didn't take her eyes off the pile of papers that she put on the table. She was pale, had black-ringed eyes and evidently she hasn't slept for several days. Snape acted strangely. Harry noticed that sometimes his face twisted suddenly in the expression of mingled pain and rage. He clenched his hand on the chain hidden under his robe and looked darkly at Dumbledore.  
  
Hagrid was despaired. The behemots' disappearance was a real shock for him. And he couldn't stop blaming himself for his credulity. He had no doubts that Magnus Devilson was behind that affair. And Hagrid felt betrayed and cheated by the man who he considered his friend.  
  
Harry sighed heavily and threw a pork-chop to a large, black dog lying in the passage between the tables. The beast snapped its teeth and wagged its tail.  
  
'Are we going?' asked Ron hopefully.  
  
He had enough of a gloomy atmosphere of the Hall.  
  
Suddenly the door opened with a bang and a young man with red hair run into the room.  
  
'Bill!' called surprised Ron.  
  
Bill Weasley didn't even look at his brother. He run to the stuff table and on it lent heavily.  
  
'Azkaban...' he wheezed out 'The attacked... Azkaban...'  
  
Vega sprang to her feet.  
  
'How many of them?' she shouted 'What about Dementors.'  
  
Bill opened his mouth but he couldn't emit a sound.  
  
'Drink a glass of water,' said Dumbledore standing up 'And tell us everything by turns.  
  
Bill emptied the goblet in a gulp and breathed.  
  
'It started twenty minutes ago,' he said with effort 'The appeared suddenly, about thirty masked Death Eaters. They stood in front of the Azkaban gate and demanded to release the prisoners. They said they spoke in behalf of Lord Voldemort.'  
  
Single screams of terror could be heard.  
  
'There were only ten Aurors in our squad,' continued Bill 'But from behind the walls we could repel an attack of much more enemies. Beside, there were Dementors...' he paused and rubbed his eyes 'Edgar Higgs told the Death Eaters to get off. And they started to laugh. Then HE apparated,' fear twinkled in Bill's eyes 'You-Know-Who, reborn and powerful.'  
  
Now most of the students were really scared. Harry seemed petrified.  
  
'You-Know-Who spoke to Dementors,' said Bill in a gloomy voice 'He promised them power and thousands of captives. And they...' he shook his head 'turned against us.'  
  
'I knew it would happen,' said Dumbledore heavily 'Fortunately we had a squad of Aurors in Azkaban.'  
  
'That's right,' nodded Bill 'When it started I was sent here to let know to captain Starlight. Mary was to bring 'gamma' and 'alpha' and Tom went for 'delta''.  
  
'OK. We go in five minutes.' said Vega.  
  
She jumped over the table and ran from the Hall. Bill made after her. Snape followed them with gloomy eyes and looked at Dumbledore.  
  
'I wish I could go with them' he whispered.  
  
Dumbledore shook his head sadly.  
  
'You know it's impossible, Severus,' he sighed 'You can't reveal yourself, not yet...'  
  
'I know...' said Snape dully.  
  
'Let's go.' Dumbledore put a hand on his arm 'We will catch them before they leave.'  
  
And they quickly went out from the room. Near the marble stairs they met Bill who was pacing up and down the corridor.'  
  
'Did you inform Moody?' asked Dumbledore.  
  
'He will know' muttered Bill 'Arabella Figg was to let him know if anything had happened.  
  
Steps rumbled on the stairs and Vega ran down, pulling on black glittering gloves with metal fittings.  
  
'Let's go!' she waved at Bill who straightened up formally.  
  
Vega approached Dumbledore.  
  
'The DADS should resist,' she said quickly 'Now it can be controlled only from the matrix. Here you are,' she handed a black plate to the Headmaster 'If something happen to me you know how it works. See you later...maybe' she smiled gloomily and moved towards the door.  
  
'Wait!' Severus grabbed her arm.  
  
The Auror turned round and fixed her steely-grey eyes at him.  
  
'Vega,' said Snape silently 'Be careful. And anything happens...remember that I will never turn against you.'  
  
The witch was looking at him for a while. Finally she nodded and ran after Bill who was just mounting his broom. She transformed and a black goshawk shot into the night sky.  


. . .

  
They apparated on a sandy slope and at once reached their ears a deafening roar that made the ground shaking.  
  
'What's that?!' cried Vega.  
  
Bill shook his head. The Auror ran to the edge of the slope and looked down. At the bottom of a shallow valley loomed high, thick walls of the most tremendous fortress. Azkaban, cursed and terrifying, full of despair and hopelessness.  
  
'What the hell...?!' muttered Vega staring intently at the valley's bottom.  
  
There was unceasing movement round the Azkaban's walls. All along them enormous grey monsters were raving widely and they were the ones who were roaring so sharply. There were a dozen or so of them.  
  
'Behemots,' whispered Vega 'Damned Devilson! So that's why he needed them. Bill!' she turned to the young wizard 'Wait here for the Special Forces. I will look around.'  
  
She transformed and like an arrow she flew towards Azkaban.  
  


. . .

  
Several dozens of people gathered on the slope. They were lying in ambush in the darkness, noiseless, waiting for an order to attack.  
  
Vega called the captains.  
  
'It's not good,' she said silently 'They have behemots controlled by nobody else but our dear Magnus. Their roar is destroying the walls better than the best Muggle bombs. If it goes longer Azkaban will be completely ruined in one hour.'  
  
'How did they get them?!' Rupert Rail was wondering feverishly.  
  
'Teleports.' said Vega courtly 'They had to transfer the behemots from Tibet using the power of the connected megaports. It would explain why there were problems with them a few days ago.'  
  
'How can we stop them?' asked soberly Arabella Figg 'Behemots are resistant to magic.'  
  
'It's not our biggest problem' said Vega gloomily 'I saw about fifty Death Eaters. Voldemort is not with them, he must supervise the battle from the distance. But all Dementors joined the attackers. Edgar's squad has been encircled on the western tower. And they cannot disapparate from Azkaban...'  
  
'Bloody hell!' swore Moody 'There are mainly apprentices in his squad.'  
  
'Exactly,' muttered Vega ' We have to attack immediately. We cannot allow a single prisoner to get out of Azkaban.'  
  
'And what about the behemots?' insisted Arabella.  
  
Vega smiled sinisterly.  
  
'We will invent something.'  


. . .

  
The Aurors attacked unexpectedly like ominous angels of death. The Death Eaters, too absorbed of the behemots work, allowed to surprise them and the first stroke repelled them under the wall of the fortress. Encircled between the frantic creatures and the Aurors, they were trying desperately to stop the attack of the Special Forces.  
  
Vega repelled an icy ray that someone shot at her and yelled: '_Unda Mortis_ !' A powerful wave of pressure swooped towards the Death Eaters. It beat into the ground the ones who didn't manage to dodge it, passed the behemots not even hurting then and scattered on the Azkaban walls with a blinding flash. Several bricks fell to the ground.  
  
''Delta' towards the gate!' Vega waved a hand trying to outshout the wild roar of the shaggy creatures.  
  
Fifteen Aurors broke off from the formation and ran towards the gate, casting the Striking Spells right and left. In the same moment the other squads attacked furiously the Death Eaters trying to push them from the way of 'delta'.  
  
It wasn't easy, however. Now when the first shock has passed, the Death Eaters showed that Lord Voldemort trained his soldiers perfectly well. They were using very powerful curses and were fighting bravely and passionately. And they were not going to lose.  
  
A bright ray shot towards 'delta' and reached a young witch who too late called an incantation of the Cover. White jest of lights shot from her convulsively twitching body and swooped with a hiss on the whole squad.  
  
'Shields! Hurry!' roared Arabella Figg.  
  
Subtle glimmers gleamed around the wizards. The jets reflected from them and shot into the sky. It seemed that everybody was safe but suddenly one of the wizards slumped on his knees, wheezing and spitting with blood that was streaming also from his ripped throat.  
  
'Damned it!' swore Arabella bending over the Auror, her face twisted painfully 'We retreat!' she commanded.  
  
'We can't leave him!' moaned a young fair-haired wizard, kneeling down next to his comrade and looking in disbelief at his blood-stained body.  
  
'Leave him!' cried Arabella pulling his arm 'You will not help him!'  
  
'Delta' closed the ranks and started to retreat hastily towards the other Aurors.  
  
'They failed!' growled Moddy looking intently at the approaching squad 'Bloody hell! Higgs will not sustain long.'  
  
In fact, a situation of the 'beta' on the tower wasn't good. Six of the nine wizards in the squad were apprentices who had already finished the schooling but didn't have experience in the real fight. And they had to measure their strengths with Dementors.  
  
Edgar Higss mopped his forehead and over the misty shadows of Patronuses he looked at the field below the Azkaban walls.  
  
'If they will not dig the way' he whispered to himself 'We will be in troubles...'  
  
Vega thought the same. She knew that if they wanted to save 'delta' and not allow to release the prisoners of Azkaban, they had to stake all on a chance.  
  
'Forward!' she cried giving sign to attack.  
  
The Aurors moved.  
  
'_Eruptio_!' yelled somebody behind.  
  
Vega reflexively protected herself with a shield but Bill Weasley, who was running before her, staggered and fell down. Convulsions shook his body and suddenly a powerful explosion tore him into pieces. In the same moment the Fire Wall rolled over several other Aurors leaving a grey ash on the place when they had been.  
  
Vega stood petrified, wiping Bill's blood from her face. She clenched her fists and slowly, as if fighting with an invisible force, she turned round. Several steps in front of her Rupert Rail was standing. He had a wand in his risen hand and was laughing madly. Some people from his squad were still attacking the shocked Aurors.  
  
'TRAITOR !' shrieked Vega pointing her wand at Rail who in the same moment called:  
  
_'Eruptio_!'  
  
But the witch was too fast for him.  
  
'_Cancellio_!' she roared.  
  
Rail's curse disappeared and before he could understand what happened, Vega called '_Immobilarius_!'. Rupert stood motionless. The only moving part of his body were eyes, now widened and fixed on approaching Vega with an expression of a growing panic.  
  
The Auror reached Rail and her pale face twisted in hatred and contempt.  
  
'Why?!' she hissed ominously not taking her eyes off the green eyes of her former friend.  
  
Rupert blinked that he want to speak. Vega reduced a bit a power of the curse.  
  
'He forced me!' whispered Rail in a shrill voice 'I swear! He forced me! He threatened he would kill my family!'  
  
There were no sign of compassion in Vega's eyes.  
  
'You had a very good fun as for someone who was forced to perfidious attack on his own mates' she said icily.  
  
Rupert turned pail.  
  
'No...' he mumbled, avoiding Vega's eyes 'It's not true... I didn't want...'  
  
'You lie!' yelled the Auror 'You are a Death Eater ! And you will die like all of them. _Avada Kedavra_ !'  
  
A green jet of light shot from the tip of her wand and passed through Rail who fell inertly on the ground. Vega looked at him with loathing, her grey eyes were cold and ruthless.  
  
'All right?!' called Moody approaching in a quick pace 'Lousy traitor!' he growled at the sight of the dead wizard 'The sixth one. And I suppose that he was the leader.'  
  
Vega nodded gloomily.  
  
'The attack has broken down,' added Moody hastily 'Thanks to that son of the bitch we lost the only possibility. Now we will not dig the way to Edgar...'  
  
A horrible crash could be heard, as if a battle of thunders has just begun over Azkaban. The ground was shaking. Vega looked at the fortress. The western tower collapsed raising a thick cloud of dust. The pieces of stones were falling behind the walls, creating a panic among the behemots.  
  
'Edgar...' whispered Vega.  
  
After the roaring of the silver creatures the jolt was too much for the fortress. The walls shook and fell down. The Death Eaters yelled triumphantly. They knew that they had won.  
  
No more than a minute had passed when the other shouts could be heard near the gate. Dementors were leading the released prisoners. Most of them were Death Eaters who landed in Azkaban after Voldemort's downfall. Now there were coming back to the world they hadn't hoped to see again. There were greedy of revenge and blood, ready to do everything at the order of the Dark Lord.  
  
The Aurors were looking at that with a helpless fury. They couldn't prevent it. But they were not going to give up. Meanwhile the released Death Eaters couldn't be much helpful. And though the Special Forces have been very decimated after the Rail's betrayal and death of the Higgs' squad, they knew they had to fight.  
  
Vega gave 'gamma' and 'beta' under Moody's command and the Aurors took the last offensive. The Striking Spells shot towards the Death Eaters. Arabella's subordinates connected their wands and cried in unison: '_Evaporate_ !' A liquid, transparent ball materialised over their heads whirling madly, and suddenly it shot towards the enemies. The ones it had touched started to howl with pain while every cubic centimetre of water was evaporating from their bodies. After several seconds only dried corpses remained of them that crumbled into dust at the slightest hit.  
  
The Death Eaters paid them back with the same. Several Aurors has been horribly massacred by _Implosis_ that left only wet, bloody stains of them. At Vega feet a witch fell with her face burned to the bones by a Fire Ball. An Icy Blade almost cut Arabella's head and Moody fell on the ground after an extremely powerful Striking Wave broke his Cover and threw him away nearly twenty meters.  
  
Vega hesitated but she hadn't time to check if Mad-Eye is alive. She sliced two Death Eaters with a single wave of her wand and she was about to cast a Death Wave at the prisoners gathered next to the teleports, when a familiar, cold and full of hatred voice cried:  
  
'_Crucio_ !'  
  
Vega dodged and the curse flew over her head. She jumped up immediately and fixed her burning eyes on devilishly smiled Lucius Malfoy.  
  
'Only coward attack from behind!' she growled looking at him with utmost loathing.  
  
Murderous twinkles were glinting in Lucius' bright eyes.  
  
'We will finally measure our strengths, Starlight!' he drawled ominously 'I've been waiting for this moment for years. And finally it has come...' he was piercing her with his eyes 'Now we will see who is better. You will pay for everything.'  
  
Vega was staring coldly at him, a cruel sneer slowly arose on her lips.  
  
'As you wish,' she shrugged her shoulders 'If this is a death you've chosen...'  
  
'_Avada Kedavra_ !' roared Malfoy.  
  
'_Reflectio_ !' yelled Vega.  
  
Inexpressible bewilderment appeared on Lucius' face. The last thing he saw was a blinding jet of a green light.  
  


. . .

  
Somebody cast a Lighting Spell on the Death Eaters. Three wizards burst into flames. Howling with pain they were trying to tear off their burning robes but they had already stuck to their bodies and the fire started to eat into the skin and muscles. The Death Eaters were twitching in agony, uttering horrible groans.  
  
One of them, a woman with long, fairy hair burning now like a great torch, sprang up from the ground and in madness, driven with pain and fear, she run straight among the behemots that Magnus tried to drive into the teleports. The fire immediately skipped on their thick, sliver fur. Behemots moved uneasily, sniffing the smoke. And suddenly they felt pain. Their fur was burning. The animal roared shrilly and franticly run in all directions, treading down everyone who stood on their way. Some of them ran towards the teleports, overturning them and trampling the prisoners. Only a dozen of released Death Eaters managed to escape.  
  
Magnus, ghastly pale, was staring with a mad despair at the burning behemots. He felt their agony as his own, with every nerve of his body. He was the one who brought them here ! It was his fault they were suffering ! His heart was full of bitterness, rage and grief. Why did it happen to them ? They were innocent. They didn't deserve such a horrible end !  
  
Tears shone in Magnus grey-blue eyes. He waved his wand. He knew who was responsible for that crime. They were, the Aurors and Death Eaters, who didn't care for behemots' lives.  
  
Suddenly a silent squeal came from the ruined walls. Magnus turned round and fixed his eyes in darkness. Something moved, squealed again and a fawn, shaggy creature loomed from a shadow. It was a young behemot.   
  
'Gunnar...' called Magnus in a melodious whisper 'Gunnar...It's me...come to me...'  
  
The behemot moved his nostrils and pricked his small ears.  
  
'Gunnar...come' Devilson was calling.  
  
The young one moved hesitantly towards the wizard still sniffing and looking round restlessly. But finally he recognised Magnus, approached him without fear and stroke with its shaggy head.  
  
'Gunnar' whispered Devilson scraping behemot's nose 'Come on, we will go home.'  
  
He pulled a shaggy ear and behemot obediently tottered after him. Magnus was leading the animal towards the only remained teleport. They had to travel several hundreds meters but people were now fighting in the other part of the valley and nobody paid attention to them.  
  
Behemot was walking quietly. Only when they were passing the charred remains of its cousins it got nervous and Magnus had to keep it with all his strengths. But he spoke to Gunnar and the sound of his voice tranquillized the animal.  
  
Dozen or so meters were left to the teleport. Suddenly a group of the Death Eaters dashed from behind the corner, chased by the Aurors. Magnus forced Gunnar to trot. Escape was so close...  
  
'_Unda Mortis _!' cried Arabella Figg.  
  
A Death Wave wiped out the Voldemort's soldiers and was gliding towards the teleport. Magnus quickly estimated the distance. If he started to run he would manage to escape. He pulled behemot's ear but the small one couldn't walk faster.  
  
'Gunnar!' cried the wizard 'Gunnar ! Come on!'  
  
They were only five meters from the teleport. The Death Wave was very close by. Magnus knew that the behemot would not be fast enough. He looked at it with despair and suddenly he pulled out his wand.  
  
'_Reducto_!' he screamed.  
  
The spell tore behemot away from the ground and cast it into the teleport. Gunnar had disappeared a few seconds before the Death Wave rolled over the teleport and crushed Magnus Devilson.  
  



	19. Night of the truth

19. Night of the truth   
  
Paradoxically, the behemots thanks to which the Azkaban walls had been destroyed, caused finally the defeat of the Death Eaters. Frantic and burning, the huge creatures trampled mainly the Voldemorts' soldiers who were just closer to them. Aurors used the commotion to their advantage and drove the Death Eaters to defensive. Some of them disapparated from the battle field but most were fighting to the end. They knew how the Dark Lord punished cowards.  
  
Nevertheless, Voldemort's plan was quite successful. Dozen of prisoners had escaped and among them the most dangerous ones, the Lestranges.  
  
The battle came to an end. Vega was supervising teleportation of the wounded Aurors. The ministry megaports were already operating and the most badly injured were sent from the temporary portal straight to the St. Mungo Hospital. There weren't many of them, however. From the sixty members of the Special Forces only fifteen survived and only a few could keep on their feet. Mad-Eye Moody was alive but he lost his second leg and three fingers of the left palm. Arabella Figg went blind. There was nobody who wouldn't be injured.  
  
Vega adjusted a bandage on her burnt cheek and pushed aside short, matted wisps that remained from her beautiful long hair. The last Auror has just disapparated. Vega cast a dark glance at the battle field, she transformed into the goshawk and flew towards Hogwart.  
  
She knew that something was wrong as early as she saw the outline of the castle. It was completely dark. No light could be seen in the windows. Strange, depressing silence reigned around, broken only by a rustle of the wind.  
  
Vega passed Hogsmead. The village looked as if a powerful whirlwind rolled over it. All buildings were ruined, trees had been uprooted and scattered within a radius of several dozens meters. On the ground, among the crumbled walls, tiny, motionless shapes were looming. Vega didn't have to lower her flight to check what was it. She knew she wouldn't find anybody alive in Hogsmead.  
  
She passed a sandy road that bordered Hogwart's grounds and she realised at once that the Dark Arts Detection System wasn't working. She sped up, full of bad feelings. Moon appeared from behind the clouds and cast a misty ray of a pale light on the ground. Vega saw several huge white mounds scattered under the castle's walls. She flew closer and understood what had happened. Dead behemots were lying under the heaps of the stone pieces. Somebody destroyed, probably on purpose, three high towers of the castle and falling bricks made what the magic couldn't.  
  
Vega landed on the yard and transformed into human form. She pulled out her wand and fixed her eyes on the broken gates of the castle, hanging sadly on their torn out hinges. Dark corridor seemed to be empty but Vega didn't trust the silence. She moved towards the stairs, stealing up like a cat, staring piercingly at the darkness.  
  
Suddenly her foot met something soft and sticky. She looked down and she almost screamed. Hagrid was lying on the grass, mangled and almost completely treaded in into the ground. He was still holding a lily bulb in his hand.  
  
Vega moved further with effort. She climbed up the stairs silently and passed the door. She was enclosed in gloom but she didn't turn on the light. She could see in the darkness like a cat.  
  
At the foot of the stairs she found two massacred bodies in the white masks. The next one was lying near the entrance to the dungeons. Vega got to conclusion that the Death Eaters had to have reasons to attack in that direction. She entered the dungeons carefully and then she felt that she was being observed by somebody's watchful eyes. She immediately waved her wand and in the same second someone cried shrilly:  
  
'No!!!'  
  
Vega recognised the voice and in the last moment she changed a trajectory of the curse.  
  
'Minerva, is that you?' she asked in a whizzing whisper.  
  
A bright light shone several steps in front of her and it illuminated a grey face of professor McGonagall, stiffened in pain and despair.  
  
'Yes, that's me...' she said dully approaching Vega 'I was afraid it was again one of them...'  
  
She paused when the light of her wand fell on Vega. She was looking horribly. She was covered with dry blood of Bill Weasly, of her own, of Aurors and Death Eaters. Her hair has been burned by a blast of a Fire Wall. Grey eyes were gleaming in her dirty face like two cold stars.  
  
'What happened here?' she asked silently, feeling an icy shudder of a dreadful foreboding.  
  
Minerva fixed empty, depressed eyes on her.  
  
'Albus is dead...' she said in a flat voice 'He's dead...'  
  
Vega was staring at the witch as if she didn't understand her words.  
  
'Dumbledore is dead,' repeated Minerva silently and started to sob.  
  
Vega staggered and leant heavily against the wall. She turned ghastly pale.  
  
'It's impossible...' she whispered 'I don't believe it... How did it happen?!' she yelled widely, sticking her fingers on a shoulder of sobbing McGonagall.  
  
'I don't know...on the corridor... it was him...' the witch was mumbling disconnectedly, not controlling herself any longer.  
  
Vega shook her roughly with a growing fury.  
  
'Damn!' she growled 'Cool down! And speak clearly!'  
  
Minerva breathed heavily and wiped her face with a sleeve.  
  
'We have been attacked an hour after you had gone' she said, trying to keep calm 'They had planned it well. All Aurors were at Azkaban and the castle had to rely only on the teachers and on the DADS. At first they let behemots on the school grounds. The system hadn't influence on them. They reached the walls and started to roar. Hagrid...' she whimpered 'He wanted to tranquillize them. He believed they would recognise him...' the words stuck in her throat.  
  
'I saw...' Vega whispered dully.  
  
'We hid the students in the dungeons,' proceeded Minerva 'They are still there. Albus, me and several other colleagues went on the walls. Roaring of behemots has already begun to crush them, so we destroyed the towers. Poor animals...' she whispered sadly 'But we had no choice. Then we dealt with the Death Eaters. Only a few of them appeared. They didn't want to take the castle. Behemots were only to divert our attention. They came here for other purpose...'  
  
Vega understood at once.  
  
'Harry Potter,' she whispered.  
  
'Yes,' nodded Minerva gloomily 'Albus sent him to the dungeons together with the others. Sirius was with him. I thought the boy was safe.'  
  
'What happened then?' asked Vega.  
  
The witch shook her head.  
  
'I don't know. He didn't reach the dungeons. Sirius also disappeared. And in the corridor I found this.'  
  
She took out something black and shaggy from her pocket. Vega felt her heart in her throat. Minerva was holding a torn off dog's ear.  
  
'What the hell happened?!' cried Vega 'Who did it?!'  
  
Minerva rose her head. Her eyes were full of hatred and utmost contempt.  
  
'SNAPE!' she spat 'It was him who betrayed us. He disconnected the DADS. And he killed Albus !'  
  
Vega stood petrified with a horror on her face.  
  
'What are you talking about?!' she yelled desperately, clenching her fists 'It's impossible!'  
  
'I SAW HIM!' howled Minerva hysterically 'Right after the action on the walls Albus disappeared somewhere and Severus wasn't with us at all. I checked what was going on in the dungeons and I went to look for them. I found Sirius' ear and the...' her words turned into a hoarse moan.  
  
'What then?!' hissed Vega.  
  
Minerva hid her face in the hands.  
  
'I saw Albus...' she whispered 'He was lying on the floor. He was motionless. Somebody was bending over him...It was SNAPE!' she cried 'I recognised him! I would recognise him in hell! Lousy traitor!'  
  
She slumped on her knees and choked with hysterical sob.  
  
Vega was pale as a ghost.  
  
'I don't believe...' she moaned desperately 'He couldn't...'  
  
She felt her heart beating frantically, bright circles were flickering in front of her eyes. She leant on the wall breathing heavily. Suddenly she saw a shaggy ear lying on the floor. She was staring at it for a while, concentrating all her mind on that one object. She rose her head. Her eyes were cold and dark, full of hatred and greedy of revenge.  
  
'I'm going to bring Harry back,' she said dryly.  
  
McGonagall looked at her thoroughly shocked.  
  
'At least him I will save. I owe it to him...' continued Vega not paying attention to Minerva 'And then...' her lips twisted in a devilish smile 'I will pay the traitor. And the one who he serves.'  
  
And not looking back she ran up the corridor. McGonagall followed her with the eyes full of grief and strange apprehension.  
  
'Go...' she said softly 'You are the only one who can do that...'  


. . .

  
The Dark Lord's abode seemed to be empty and deserted. Vega wrapped herself tight in the Invisibility Cloak, once more cast a watchful glance at the yard and she crossed the bridge. Nothing happened. She climbed up the stone steps. Iron door creaked and opened. Vega entered the castle.  
  
A long corridor has been lit by two rows of white-blue torches. The Auror smiled gloomily. They must have been expecting guests from Azkaban. She moved towards the stair looming in the end of the corridor. Snape had described her once the castle so she knew where to look for.  
  
She reached the stairs and went down, to the dark, gloomy, damp dungeons. If Harry was at Voldemort's castle, there was the place they kept him. Vega moved along two rows of the cells, looking inside each of them.  
  
A door of the left side was closed. Vega approached it, pulled out her wand and said silently:  
  
_'Alohomora.'_  
  
The door opened. Under the opposite wall Harry was standing, pale and with ruffled hair, clutching his broken glass in his hand. He was staring at the door with widened eyes. He couldn't see anybody.  
  
'It's me, Vega' whispered the witch, coming closer to the boy and taking off the Invisibility Cloak 'Are you ok.?'  
  
Harry was looking at her thoroughly shocked.  
  
'Professor...' he mumbled 'What happened to you?'  
  
'It's nothing ' Vega waved her hand impatiently 'Better tell me, how did you get here. And hurry up !' she urged him, peeping out at the corridor 'We have to get out of here.'  
  
Harry breathed deeply.  
  
'We were going to the dungeons,' he said 'Terrible confusion, people were pushing themselves and crying. Suddenly Sirius growled and pulled my sleeve, as if he felt a danger. I looked down to check what was it about and then...' he swallowed ' I saw that Snape...professor Snape was looking at me in a very strange ...horrible way...' he shuddered at the very memory 'Sirius was pulling me backwards. I followed him. We were running through the corridors and suddenly I heard that somebody was pursuing us. A white light flashed and Sirius howled. A curse had torn his ear. He transformed into the human form and then Snape rushed out from behind the corner. Sirius pushed me away and pulled out his wand pointing at him. They shot in the same moment and then I saw the Death Eaters running from the other side of the corridor. They stunned me and I remember nothing more,' he looked anxiously at Vega 'What about Sirius ?! Professor, is he...'  
  
'I don't know,' Vega said briefly 'He wasn't at Hogwart.'  
  
Hatred gleamed in Harry's green eyes.  
  
'It was Snape!' he cried loosing his nerves 'He betrayed us ! He killed Sirius!'  
  
'Be quiet!' hissed Vega 'Do you want to attract the Death Eaters? Put on the Invisibility Cloak. We have to go.'  
  
Harry cooled down. He obediently did what the Auror told him.  
  
'Now listen to me,' said Vega sternly 'We will try to get out of here. If we are attacked I will try to stop then and you run to the gate. They won't see you in the Cloak. Your Firebolt is on the bridge. Mount it and fly to Hogwart.'  
  
'But...' Harry wanted to protest.  
  
'Don't discuss with me!' cut Vega 'You will do what I told you. And when I'm sure that you are safe I will pay back the traitor' her grey eyes flashed vindictively.  
  
They entered the corridor and silently climbed up the slippery steps. The castle was silent but the years of experience told Vega that it didn't mean anything good. She was looking watchfully left and right, with her wand risen, ready to attack in any moment.  
  
Suddenly a horrible hiss cut the silence and in the corridor in front of them an outline of a giant snake loomed. Its yellow eyes glittered rapaciously. Vega stopped.  
  
'Nagini welcome you in the Palace of Darkness' hissed the snake 'The Dark Lord is expecting you.'  
  
Enormous body was spreading from wall to wall completely barring the way. Harry stood petrified hardly daring to breath.  
  
'Really?' Vega smiled coldly, looking piercingly in the cruel eyes of the beast. In the same moment she gave Harry sign to retreat 'Show me the way, then.'  
  
Nagini hissed sinisterly, the huge rings of her body shuddered. Her head swang as if the snake was going to attack, yellow eyes were at the height of Vega's face. The witch didn't move. Nagini was staring at her piercingly, sharp fangs emerged from the half-opened mouth.  
  
Slowly, noiselessly, Harry took tree steps backwards. And suddenly he stood motionless, shocked, looking at the Auror with an inexpressible bewilderment. Only now he realised he could understand her conversation with the snake. Vega was speaking Parseltongue.  
  
But he hadn't time to consider it closer. Steps rumbled in the corridor and two groups of the Death Eaters came from the both sides. They didn't wear their masks any longer and Harry at once recognised a man who was leading on of the squads.  
  
'Traitor !' he screamed forgetting about Vega's order 'Where is Sirius !!!'  
  
In the same moment a green light shot and one of the Death Eaters fell on the floor, dead. It was Vega who attacked. Curses whizzed. Harry jumped for the wand of a killed man, the Cloak slipped from his face...  
  
'I've got you !' a voice, full of hatred, hissed to his ear and he felt an iron grip of Snape.  
  
'Starlight!' somebody called triumphantly 'Surrender or we will kill Potter!'  
  
Harry noticed that Vega stopped with a risen hand. Her face twisted in the expression of helpless fury. She spat and threw her wand on the floor.  
  
It has been picked up by the man who had called a while ago. Now Harry could see him more clearly and guessed at once that must have been one of the prisoners from Azkaban. He was wearing old, shaggy robes of the sort that Sirius had when Harry had seen him for the first time. In his pale, sunken face blues eyes were burning, full of hatred and cruel satisfaction.  
  
He waved his wand and white ropes tied Vega's hands. The wizard approached her with a vindictive smile and punched her in the face with all his strength. The Auror fell on the wall. Harry felt Snape's fingers sticking in his arm.  
  
The Death Eater approached Vega lazily.  
  
'So many years, Starlight,' he drawled 'I've been waiting thirteen years.'  
  
The witch rose her head and spat with blood.  
  
'You haven't changed at all, Lestrange' she hissed venomously 'You still like to torment the ones who cannot defend.'  
  
Lestrnge's eyes flashed murderously. He kicked Vega in stomach with fury and with the next punch he knocked her down to the ground.  
  
'Enough!' growled Snape 'I don't suppose Lord told you to kill her.'  
  
Lestrange was boiling with rage but he came to his senses.  
  
'I will be even with you yet!' he hisses ominously to Vega and beckoned to his men.  
  
The Auror stood up with effort. The Death Eaters surrounded her and the whole group disappeared behind the corner of the corridor. Lestrange looked at Snape.  
  
'What about the boy?' he asked pointing at Harry 'Lord want to see him, too.'  
  
'We will join you in a moment,' said Snape dryly 'I want to chatter with Potter...in private.'  
  
Lestranges laughed and followed his squad. Snape fixed his black eyes on Harry.  
  
'Potter, Potter...he said softly 'So our fates meet again. Isn't it strange?' his eyes flashed 'Whether I want it or not, you are at the end of every path.'  
  
Harry was silent. He felt very uneasy. Snape's words seemed very queer and obscure. Severus smiled vaguely.  
  
'This is night of the truth, Potter,' he whispered 'Everybody take off his mask...'  
  
'You have already taken off yours!' cried Harry feeling the overcoming rage 'You are a traitor! Dumbledore trusted you and you betrayed him! You sold me to Voldemort! And all because you didn't like my father!'  
  
A strange, painful grimace appeared on Snape's face.  
  
'Do you know why I hated James Potter so much?' he asked quietly looking piercingly at Harry.  
  
The boy laughed sneeringly.  
  
'You told me this yourself. It was because my dad and Sirius played a stupid trick on you!  
  
Severus' black eyes flashed.  
  
'How little you know...' he said bitterly 'The truth is much more painful,' he started at him firmly 'Your grandfather, Perseus Potter, was my father.'  
  
Harry was thunderstruck. He couldn't believe his ears.  
  
'It means...you and my dad...were brothers?' he mumbled.  
  
'Half-brothers,' specified Snape 'Perseus Potter had a love-affair with my mother. He promised he would marry her but then he left her though she was pregnant.' hatred twinkled in his black eyes 'James had everything I never had: home, family, friends. And any time I looked at him, I could see Perseus Potter and I hated him more and more. I feel the same when I look at you...'  
  
Harry was shocked.  
  
'Why Sirius has never told me about it?' he whispered.  
  
Snape smiled sadly.  
  
'He had no idea of it. Except me only Vega knows the truth. James has never found out he had a brother.'  
  
'Who was your mother?' asked Harry; curiosity was stronger that his rage 'It means...was she a witch?'  
  
Snape nodded.  
  
'Yes, she was. Her name was Hekate Evans.'  
  
At the sound of that surname Harry jumped up.  
  
'Evans?!' he repeated 'But not...'  
  
'Yes,' said Snape 'My grandmother was a Muggle. Her brother, Scott, was a grandfather of your mother, Lily Evans.'  
  
Harry rendered speechless. It was beyond his imagination ! He was closely related to Snape! In two different ways!  
  
'It's time for us. Lord is waiting.' sad Snape dully and pushed Harry towards the stairs.  
  
They climbed up the marble steps and stopped in front of the high, black door. Nagini was lying curled up on the floor under it. When she saw them she rose her head and touched a red eye of an incrusted basilisk with her nostrils. The door opened noiselessly and Snape and Harry entered inside.  
  
The great hall was lit by the same pale-blue light that brightened up the corridors. Lord Voldemort was sitting on his dark, obsidian throne and was looking at Harry with burning eyes. At the foot of the marble platform Vega was standing, Lestrange and the other Death Eaters several steps behind her. Only now Harry recognised among them short, balding Peter Pettrigiew.  
  
'Harry Potter...' said Voldemort lengthily when Snape and the boy approached the throne 'Nobody more is missing, then.'  
  
He laughed icily with the same cruel, ruthless laugher that Harry used to hear in his nightmares.  
  
'It's time you get to know the one who had organised your visit in my castle tonight.' said the Dark Lord 'My most faithful servant, Impostor.'  
  
A tall man in long, black cloak emerged from behind the throne, his face hidden in the shadow of the hood. Harry was staring at him astounded, wondering who could it be. He was completely confused. It was Snape who was pursuing him, wasn't he? He was a traitor!  
  
Vega gasped and over Harry's head she looked piercingly at Severus who was staring at Impostor with a sneering grimace, as if he knew very well whose face is hidden under the black hood.  
  
Voldemort smiled with a devilish satisfaction.  
  
'The time of truth...' he said ominously and beckoned to the masked servant.  
  



	20. Love and hatred

20. Love and hatred   
  
Impostor straightened up and slowly took off his hood. Harry felt that his heart stopped beating and the ground gave way under his feet. He thought he must have gone mad. It couldn't be truth...  
  
It was Sirius Black.  
  
'YOU!!!' yelled Vega in a murderous voice 'And yet you! I've been suspecting you since the day of the gargoyles' attack on Harry!'  
  
'Really?' asked Sirius with a polite interest 'Where did I make a mistake?'  
  
'A letter' snarled Vega 'Your last letter to Harry. I found it in his pocket. I was very surprised when it turned out that there was plenty of calcite on it. It made me think. I asked Ron and Hermione and I found out that Harry started to sneeze right after he had opened the letter. And all became clear. Powdered death has been sent to him by his dear godfather.'  
  
Harry had a feeling that the voices were coming to him from a great distance or from behind a thick, heavy curtain. It was a bad dream. Bad dream. He wanted to wake up...  
  
'Well done, my little sister' laughed Black 'That's how it was indeed. I believe that you guessed at once who was the real author of all those strange events in Hogwart?'  
  
Vega smiled gloomily.  
  
'Yeah, now it wasn't difficult' she said ' It was you who have been trying to find the weak points of the DADS anytime you visited Hogwart under the mask of your friendship with Harry. You stole the access codes during the Christmas we spent at Remus. Then you disconnected Malfoy's line on the matrix. My mistake,' she smiled gloomily 'I shouldn't leave it unguarded in the room even among the people I trusted most of all. Well, it's done.' she shrugged her shoulders 'And we have been suspecting Magnus for all the time... Bravo, Sirius!' she said with irony 'Nearly perfect game.'  
  
Black laughed.  
  
'That's truth, Magnus appeared just in time.' he sneered 'I knew that Severus didn't like him. I knew, why... ' he looked significantly at Snape 'Who would suspect me? And meanwhile Magnus had completely different task to realise. I guess you already know what was it...?' he asked lengthily, staring sneeringly at Vega 'Devilson was to bring the behemots. And he arranged it perfectly well. Believing that he was responsible for the problems with the DADS, you didn't pay attention to his activity in the Teleportation Department. And that was his mission.'  
  
'I guess that Devilson managed to convince the behemots, already in Tibet, not to trust Hagrid and not to tell him about your visits?' asked Vega coldly.  
  
'Of course,' nodded Sirius with a real enthusiasm 'They trusted only Magnus. He tamed them and they loved him. They believed that Hagrid wanted to hurt them. They were deceiving him. And then, in Hogwart...' cruel, sadistic twinkles shone in his eyes 'Bang!' he stamped his leg as if he was trampling something 'And it was over...'  
  
Harry turned pale. Does it mean...  
  
'What happened to Hagrid ?!' he screamed desperately, straining in Snape's grip 'What are you talking about?!'  
  
'He is dead' said Sirius indifferently in a slightly bored tone.  
  
Harry stiffened. It was too much for him. He didn't feel anything. He has been cheated. He has been betrayed. And it was by the man who he trusted so immensely. And now he heard that his other friend was dead. He was alone. Completely alone. He wanted to die.  
  
Vega was staring at Sirius with hatred and contempt. Was it possible that this man was her brother?  
  
'Do you know what I was thinking about?' asked Sirius suddenly approaching Vega 'If you suspected me, why you let me stay in Hogwart for last three weeks. And only one explanation enters my head.' he proceeded not even waiting for the answer 'You just wanted to keep an eye on me. You were waiting I would make a mistake. But you miscalculated,' he laughed maliciously 'I was very close to Potter but I couldn't do anything. Till the day when the Dark Lord attacked Azkaban,' he turned round and bowed with esteem to Voldemort, who was watching all the scene with a devilish satisfaction 'But then it was too late for you...'  
  
Vega was silent.  
  
'You flew to Azkaban' said Sirius 'Now only Dumbledore could stop me but he had other problems soon...' he smiled with satisfaction 'According to my plan the behemots attacked. Dumbledore had to supervise evacuation of the students. It was a perfect moment to act. Poor Albus, he didn't even notice when I pulled out the matrix from his pocket. I inactivated the DADS. Then I drew Harry apart from the other students. Severus saw it and from the expression of his face I guessed that he didn't know about me. We must have thought that I just didn't trust him and wanted to hide Potter from him. He caught us up in the corridor and he attacked.' he looked darkly at Snape and touched his blood-stained hair; Severus smiled with a nasty satisfaction. 'Than, as it had been appointed, the Death Eaters appeared. They took Potter and I escaped. Then you guessed the truth, didn't you, Severus?' he asked sneeringly.'  
  
Snape nodded with an unpleasant grimace on his face. Sirius approached Vega, malicious twinkles were glittering in his eyes.  
  
'You wonder if Severus left Hogwart at once, don't you? 'he asked lengthily 'The answer is: NO. He had one more task to execute.'  
  
Vega turned pale. The words of Minerva McGonagall were sounding in her ears. The killer of Dumbledore... She recognised him...  
  
Sirius turned to Snape.  
  
'Show her a bottle, Severus' he said solemnly 'This is the night of truth...'  
  
Slowly, as if reluctantly, Severus reached to the pocket of his cloak and pulled out a small, glass bottle half-filled with a blood-red liquid.  
  
'Did you know,' Black turned to Vega 'that the Potion Master for almost a year has been preparing in secret a powerful poison which we wanted to use to kill Albus Dumbledore?'  
  
Vega was staring at the bottle hypnotised. She took her gaze off it with effort and looked at Snape. Her grey eyes were cold and gloomy.  
  
'You didn't know!' Sirius was really glad of it 'It's great. You know that I love to make surprises! Listen, what happened then. Severus found Dumbledore and... You know the effect, don't you?' he laughed madly.  
  
Vega was silent, looking now at Sirius then at Snape. She didn't know which of them she hated more. If she had her wand she would kill them both.  
  
Harry was roused from a strange torpor, similar to some eerie, dark dream. He couldn't remember what they were talking about. He had only one though in his head: Sirius was a traitor.  
  
'Why?' he whispered in a hoarse voice only half-aware that he was talking.  
  
Black turned round passionately and looked at him with such hatred that Harry had never received from anybody. Even Snape couldn't hate so much. Harry shuddered.  
  
'Poor little Harry,' said Sirius softly, coming near the boy 'The image of his father. Only the eyes...you have your mother's eyes...'  
  
Harry started to tremble. There was something terrible in the wizard's voice.  
  
'My sweet Lily,' whispered Black, staring vacantly at a blue torch 'Fiancée of my best friend. I can still feel her touch, her smell....'  
  
Harry was looking at him astounded.  
  
'We loved each other...' continued Sirius 'It was madness! During the day Lily was preparing for the wedding with James and at night she met with me in small, dirty hotels at the suburbs of London. I begged her to leave him, but she didn't want to. Such a situation suited her well. James belonged to a famous, rich family but I... what could I give her except my love?'  
  
Harry had an impression that the whole world was crashing on his head. He closed his eyes. His mother, who was always for him a personification of right, nobleness and sacrifice, now turned out to be a woman mercenary and cynical, unfaithful to James already before they got married.  
  
Sirius roused himself from musings and looked at Harry again.  
  
'I became a Death Eater. It helped me to forget that Lily was a wife of the other man. Lord Voldemort welcomed me with the open arms. I was brother of Vega Starlight and he wanted to win her over to our side. I was quite useful. I was the one who convinced the idea of using Lupin as a decoy.'  
  
Vega's eyes flashed, her face twisted in the expression of wild fury. Before Sirius could understand what was going on, a strong kick knocked him down to the ground.  
  
'You bastard !!!' yelled Vega 'You fucken son of the bitch !!! I will kill you like a dog!'  
  
Frantic with rage, she was kicking Sirius all over his body. The Death Eaters were watching with a murmur of gloomy satisfaction. The enjoyed such spectacles. Finally Lestrange rose his wand and pointing at Vega he called:  
  
'_Crucio!_'  
  
'_Expelliarmus_!' said somebody imperatively and the wand flew out from the Lestrange's hand.  
  
Voldemort rose from his throne and he slowly walked down the marble steps, looking coldly at the wizards.  
  
'I must say that you begin to lose your nerves.' he said calmly staring in the eyes of Lestarnge who turned pale and took a step backwards 'Impostor, Harry must be dying to know what happened at one November night fifteen years ago. Don't make him wait any longer.'  
  
His voice turned into a sinister hiss. Harry shuddered. How many terrible truths was he going to hear? Sirius lifted himself up with effort, spitting with blood.  
  
'Lily married James and you was born' he said dryly 'I couldn't bear it. But soon Lily also had enough of her husband. I decided to kill him. I knew that Lord wanted to put the Potters to death and it was just in the time when the Fidelius Charm was to be performed. I told Master that I could give him James away. But I had to do it in such a way that nobody would suspect me. What profit would I have from the death of Lily's husband if I had to rot in Azkaban to the end of my life.' he laughed darkly 'I knew Peter was a Death Eater and spy, so I decided to use him to get rid of James. Good chap, Wormtail,' he looked at Pettrigiew who crouched with fear 'he didn't know we were on the same side... My plan was simple. In the last moment I made him a Secret-Keeper because I knew he would tell everything to the Lord. And I was right.'  
  
'What an irony!' hissed Vega looking piercingly at Sirius 'Pettrigiew, a traitor, also wanted to throw the blame on somebody else and he had chosen you, the other traitor ! So you WERE guilty.'  
  
Black laughed mournfully.  
  
'Nasty little disappointment, isn't it, sissy?' he drawled 'You always believed in me so much...'  
  
Vega cast him a dark gaze. Voldemort smiled cynically.  
  
'Yes, Impostor acquitted himself perfectly well.' he said coldly looking at Harry with a cruel satisfaction 'I apparated in the Potters' hose. I killed James and I began to look for you. A silent whimper came from the room. You were alone, helpless, left to my mercy. You mother hid in the cellar. Sirius warned her not to go out whatever would happen.'  
  
Harry was staring at him, shocked. It couldn't be truth. Mother would never leave him...  
  
Sirius must have read in his mind.  
  
'Painful truth, Harry' he said with no compassion; contrary, his voice was full of hatred and venom 'To be with me, Lily was prepared to sacrifice not only James, but also his child. At least I believed she was...' he sighed 'Unfortunately, in the last moment she changed her mind and decided to save you' his face twisted in a painful grimace 'And Lord had to kill her...' he whispered dully.  
  
Harry was shivering. He even didn't feel despair. Somewhere on the bottom of his consciousness Dumbledore's words sounded. The boy lifted his head and looked at the Dark Lord. His green eyes were full of bitter, gloomy irony. It wasn't the look of a teenager but of an adult man who had experienced a lot in his life.  
  
'And it was everything to kill ME' he said softly, staring without blinking in Voldemort's red eyes. 'You were afraid of me so much?'  
  
The wizard looked at him with amazement.  
  
'I was afraid?' he repeated with disbelief 'What are you talking about ! Why should I be afraid of a child?'  
  
Harry's eyes flashed.  
  
'Because that child,' he drawled 'was, like you were, a heir of Salazar Slytherin. And in the future could become dangerous.'  
  
A surprised silence fell. The Death Eaters were staring at Harry as if suddenly somebody else appeared in front of them. Sirius gasped. Vega looked up and met concentrated Snape's eyes. Voldemort, however, was watching Harry with such an expression on his face as if he suspected that the boy went mad.  
  
'What are you talking about, Potter?' he asked coldly.  
  
'You know it well' Harry laughed sneeringly 'My great-grandfather's name was Riddle and he was from the house of Septimus Slytherin.'  
  
Voldemort was looking at him without a word, strange twinkles glittering in his eyes.  
  
'So you now about Septimius?' he drawled 'I wonder where do you get all these revelation from? Harry Potter from the line of Salazar Slytherin...' he laughed softly and somehow weirdly.  
  
'Professor Dumbledore read the last letter of Septimus' said Harry triumphantly 'And finally he knew the truth.'  
  
Amazement shone in Voldemort's eyes and suddenly he started to chuckle, first silently, then louder and louder and more shrilly. Finally he burst out uncontrollable laugher.  
  
'The truth!' he called sneeringly 'Old, poor Albus! Was he really so naive?' he was laughing like crazy 'He found the letter of marquis D'Elixe but he missed a tiny fact that the brother of Marvolo Riddle had been adopted?!' he fixed his scoffing eyes at Harry 'He was a common, lousy Muggle! And you don't have a single drop of Slytherin's sacred blood !'  
  
Harry was dumbfounded.  
  
'But...' he stammered, trying desperately to collect his thoughts 'But...you wanted to kill ME...just me...'  
  
'Don't flatter yourself!' Voldemort laughed cynically 'It wasn't about you but about the name you bear. Potter! I swore once that I would not rest until a single descendant of Perseus Potter would be alive. His son and grandson had to die.'  
  
Vega looked quickly at Snape who was staring at the Dark Lord completely surprised. Harry was opening and closing his mouth noiselessly, unable to emit a sound. Finally he managed to whisper hoarsely.  
  
'Why?'  
  
Voldemort's face twisted in rage.  
  
'You ask me, why I hated Perseus Potter?' he hissed 'That overwise, arrogant, cocky coxcomb, who considered himself to be better then the rest of the world and who had me in deep contempt only because I had grown up in the orphanage? Think about it, Harry. Think about it well...'  
  
Harry was silent. Voldemort smiled sourly.  
  
'Now, of course, I have another reason to kill you' he said dryly 'I will not allow to live somebody about whom they say that he had defeated Lord Voldemort.'  
  
In the silence that fell after those words, someone started to laugh, coldly and shrilly. Harry rose his dim eyes and he shivered. It was Vega but he has never before seen her such as in that moment. Her grey eyes were dark, sullen and ruthless. Her face twisted in a diabolic grimace.  
  
'And who believes in fairy-tales here!' she hissed staring sneeringly at Voldemort.  
  
The Dark Lord turned around and looked at her surprised.  
  
'I must admit that I do not understand...' he drawled.  
  
Vega squinted her eyes.  
  
'Did you really believe, for all those years, that a one-year old baby was able to reflect the Killing Curse?'  
  
She laughed widely and at the sound of that laugher Harry felt an icy shudder. He heard it before...When he was near the Dementors and a cry of his murdering mother was ringing in his ears.  
  
Voldemort stirred. He slowly approached Vega, not taking his burning eyes off her pale face.  
  
'But that's how it really was' he said softly 'The curse reflected from the shield that the sacrifice of his mother had left on him.'  
  
Vega smiled with irony.  
  
'If we are telling old stories, listen to the one more' she whispered sinisterly 'That night when Lily and James were killed...I felt that something was going to happen...something terrible. I apparated near their house. I put on the Invisibility Cloak and entered inside. Near the door I found dead James. The house was silent and only from the living-room a silent rustle was coming. I looked inside and I saw you. You were bending over a crib. I didn't know what to do... Then, on the stairs leading to the cellar, steps creaked and Lily loomed from darkness, pale and trembling. She dashed into the room. Using the confusion I slipped after her and I stood behind the crib. Lili stormed between you and Harry, crying that she would not allow kill him. But what could she do? She was dead in several seconds. You rose your wand and pointed in at the baby. I pulled out mine but I had no idea what to do. My mind was a blank. And then I heard an incantation of the Killing Curse.'  
  
'Go on...' whispered Voldemort staring hypnotised at Vega.  
  
'I could do only one thing' continued the witch 'I shielded the crib and I shouted the only counter-course that entered my head. It was me who reflected your _Avada Keadvra_.' grey eyes glinted with a gloomy triumph 'Harry has been hit only by a tiny chip.'  
  
It acted like a thunderbolt. The Death Eaters stood petrified. What they have just heard was so incredible that they didn't know whether they were dreaming or not. Little eyes of Wormtail widened with horror, he moved back and leant against a marble pillar. Sirius was staring at Vega as if he suddenly saw Dementor in front of him. Only Snape kept cool and only on the bottom of his black eyes triumphant twinkled were glinting.  
  
Harry closed his eyelid. His heart was beating madly and the Auror's words were ringing in his head. 'I reflected _Avada_...' So everybody was wrong ! He wasn't the one who had defeated the Dark Lord. He would be killed if Vega Starlight hadn't saved him, achieving what seemed impossible: reflecting the Killing Curse.  
  
Voldemort stood motionless, his red eyes, fixed on the witch, were burning. But there were neither rage nor hatred in them. Rather amazement, wonder and some dark satisfaction.  
  
'So it was you...' he whispered 'Now I understand...Now I finally understand...It was always hard to believe that a small child could have survived my attack even protected by the sacrifice of his mother. But why you kept it secret for all those years? ' he asked almost gently 'You would be a hero...'  
  
'And I would give people a new weapon' Vega laughed cynically 'Of course, not everyone would be able to master the counter-course, but the ones who would succeed, would became invincible. And you know how it would finish?' she asked coldly, looking at the eyes of the Dark Lord 'After several years no one would remember the name of Voldemort. The world would be lost in blood shed by the new, usurpatory masters....' she smiled ironically 'In a way I did you a favour.'  
  
Voldemort shook his head.  
  
'I don't think there is anyone else who could reflect _Avada Kedavra_.'  
  
Vega shrugged her shoulders.  
  
'I succeeded so why wouldn't the others do the same?'  
  
The Dark Lord looked at her with a mysterious smile.  
  
'Because you are someone exceptional, my dear' he said lengthily 'I heard many interesting things about you. I've been suspecting for months that you can reflect the Killing Curse. I used young Malfoy to make sure. But you were smarter...' he laughed silently not taking his eyes off Vega's face. 'I've been observing you for years. I never doubted you would achieve spectacular deeds.' he approached the Auror and put a hand on her arm 'You didn't disappoint me...'  
  
Vega shuddered and looked, bewildered, at Voldemort.  
  
'You never doubted?' she repeated dully 'You've been observing me? Why...'  
  
'I wonder what Annie would say...' whispered Voldemort thoughtfully 'She was always afraid of what was hidden in you.'  
  
'What are you talking about?!' Vega cried widely staring at the Dark Lord with a growing dread.  
  



	21. Blood ties

21. Blood ties   
  
Voldemort smiled slightly and touched gently the scar on the Auror's cheek.  
  
'Haven't you ever wondered who your father was?' he asked softly.  
  
Vega felt her heart sank and she shivered. No...It couldn't be truth...  
  
Voldemort's red eyes flashed.  
  
'Yes, Vega. You are my daughter!' he said solemnly 'The only child of Tom Marvolo Riddle. And the last heir of Salazar Slytherin.'  
  
A deathly silence fell. No one dared to move or breathe. It was a shock. Even Snape, always so composed, looked as a man whose worst nightmares had come true.  
  
Vega was ghastly pale, she was shaking. Her grey eyes were burning feverishly.  
  
'NO !!!' she yelled shrilly and fell to her knees.  
  
Voldemort was looking at her unflinchingly.  
  
'Don't deny it, daughter' he said gently 'You know it's truth. Who could you inherit from your talent and ability to the Dark Arts? Good heavens, not from Annie ! She has never mastered the simplest dark curse. Beside, you speak Parseltongue. And that is a sign of the Slytherin's heirs.'  
  
'But...' whispered Sirius in a shaking voice 'But Vega was at Gryffindor...'  
  
The Dark Lord smiled mysteriously. Vega closed her eyes. She was at Hogwart again, the Sorting Ceremony was about to begin...  
  
_***(September 1st, 1972)  
  
Professor McGonagall looked at the list and read the next name.  
  
'Vega Starlight.'  
  
Vega approached the three-legged stool. She put in the Sorting Hat and a broad brim fell on her eyes. Suddenly she heard a quiet voice.  
  
'Hmm, interesting, interesting...' the Hat was muttering 'I see a great talent. Hmm... Rare talent. Unusual. I haven't met something like that for a long time. You will achieve great deeds, my girl. Yes, there is only one house for you' it paused and then shrieked loudly 'Slyth...'  
  
It choked and broke off suddenly when Vega grasped the brim with both hands and pulled it deeper on her head.  
  
'Shut up!' she hissed 'I will not go to Slytherin ! I want to be Gryffindor!'  
  
'Release me ...' stammered the Hat struggling widely.  
  
In response Vega tightened her fingers much stronger.  
  
'Chose me to Gryffindor!' she growled through the clenched teeth.  
  
'I cant...' the Hat was moaning in a weak voice 'You belong to Slytherin...'  
  
'No!!!' yelled Vega.  
  
The Sorting Hat stiffened. It was motionless for a while and then it announced in a hoarse, strangely slow voice.  
  
'Gryffindor!' ***_  
  
Vega shuddered and pressed the hands to her feverish forehead. Her ears buzzed, bright circles were whisking in front of her eyes. Suddenly she heard a serious voice of Voldemort.  
  
'When I look at you I see Tom Riddle as he was in the times of his study at Hogwart. The same features, the same gestures, the same manner of talking. Only eyes you inherited from your mother. Annie...' he whispered 'She was watching as you grew up and she could see me in you. And every year she was more and more afraid. It killed her.'  
  
Vega rose her head. He eyes were empty and cold.  
  
'The time of truth has come, daughter!' said Voldemort solemnly 'I've been waiting that moment for years. I was watching over you. It was me who saved you that night at Lupins' house when that idiot Malfoy cast the Killing Curse on you.' his face twisted in rage at very memory 'I knew the day would come when you stand in front of me and know who you really are' he smiled triumphantly 'Your place is at my side, daughter. It's your destiny. Together we will master the whole world ! No one will resist us !'  
  
Vega's eyes flashed. She looked coldly at Voldemort coldly.  
  
'If you think that I betray everything Dumbledore died for...' she began passionately.  
  
'Dumbledore!' laughed the Dark Lord sneeringly 'Don't be naive! He cheated you. He was not blind. He knew me and he could see who little Vega Starlight resembled. He has been always suspecting the truth. But recently he made sure. He found an old letter Annie had written to Tom to tell him stay away from their daughter.'  
  
Vega clenched her fists.  
  
'It's not truth...' she whispered dully 'Dumbledore would tell me...'  
  
Voldemort laughed sinisterly.  
  
'You're wrong. He has been hidden the truth from you on purpose. He was afraid you could stand on my side.'  
  
'But why...' Vega whispered hectically 'He knew me. He knew I would never betray him...' a terrible suspicion transfixed her like an icy arrow 'He didn't trust me?!'  
  
She shivered again. Her grey eyes were burning. She felt that hatred and rage were growing in her heart. Hatred to everybody, to the whole world.  
  
Voldmeort was watching her with a real pleasure.  
  
'It's not the only secret of old Albus' he drawled venomously 'Not only he concealed your origin from you but also he kept secret the truth about himself.'  
  
'What truth?' hissed Vega.  
  
Voldemort smiled maliciously.  
  
'Albus Dumbledore, so noble, so honest...' he sneered 'Interesting, how would the people react if it appeared that the Hogwart's Headmaster comes in straight line from the house of Salazar Slytherin.'  
  
Harry was petrified. Dumbledore come from the Slytherin's line? It was amazing itself but it was something else that rankled his heart. Why did the old wizard conceal it? It was him who told that not the blood in our veins decided about who we were. Dumbledore was widely esteemed and respected. Why didn't he say the truth?  
  
Judging by the expression on the wizards' faces they must have asked themselves the same question. Red eyes of the Dark Lord twinkled vindictively.  
  
'Old Albus had a reason to keep his origin secret' he chuckled devilishly 'A very interesting reason...Do you know how Lord Voldemort was born?' he asked suddenly.  
  
He waved his wand and opalescent letters appeared n the air forming an inscription:  
  


DUMBLEDORE

  
The Dark Lord was staring at it thoughtfully.  
  
'In the Muggle orphanage I heard many fairy-tales' he said 'Many of them tell about the witches and wizards. Of course, they have nothing to do with us. Usually they are old and ugly.' he laughed silently 'When they want to cast a spell they say a magic formula: "Abrakadabra". I was really surprised when I knew in Hogwart that it's very similar to the incantation of the most dangerous curse, the Killing one. You should only change "b" into "v". I thought that a son of Muggle and the witch should use somehow that amazing fact. Let's make similar change in the name of dear Albus...' he waved his wand 'and let's see what we get...'  
  
The letters whirled and formed a new inscription:  
  


VOLDEMURDE

  
The Dark Lord laughed cynically.  
  
'Albus' daughter, Felicia, fell in love with Muggle' he said 'Shame for the Slytherin's house! Her father renounced her. But Muggle was a scoundrel and he left his wife when he knew that she was a witch. Felicia died giving birth to her son. Strangely familiar story, isn't it...?' he smiled gloomily.  
  
Harry was staring at the burning letters thunderstruck. Did it mean...?  
  
'Felicia Dumbledore was your mother?' whispered Vega.  
  
'And your grandmother' assented Voldemort 'Dear grandpa has never taken care of me. Then he had qualms of conscience, of course. But it was too late ...' he whispered sinisterly 'His grandson became the most powerful Dark Wizard of the world!'  
  
'Unfortunately,' somebody said with a bitter irony 'And I could never forgiven myself for that.'  
  
Everybody turned round surprised and stood paralysed, thoroughly shocked. At the door of the hall Albus Dumbledore was standing.  
  
'YOU!!!' shrieked Voldemort, his red eyes were burning 'It's impossible! You are dead! Unless...' his face twisted in the expression of wild fury, he slowly turned round his head and fixed murderous gaze on pale Snape 'You lousy traitor!' he hissed with hatred.  
  
A gloomy smile appeared on Severus' thin lips. He was free. Finally he could take off his mask!  
  
Voldemort looked horribly. His pale face twisted in terrible grimace and sinister, icy hiss came through his clenched teeth.  
  
'Traitor !!!' he howled furiously 'And what about Grindelwald? What about your inheritance ?! What about your revenge?!'  
  
'Revenge...' Dumbledore smiled sadly 'Yes, revenge is a luxury of gods...and demons. Demons like you. You desire nothing more then revenge on me. And that's why you believed Severus.' irony twinkled in his light-blue eyes 'I have known for years that Severus is Grindelwald's grandson. I knew well his mother, Hekate.' he smiled with melancholy 'Yes, I defeated Grindelwald and I believe I had done a right thing. We used to be friends but he loved the Dark Arts too much. It destroyed him and he was past help....' he sighed heavily 'But when he was dying in my arms, arms of the man who had killed him, he forgave me and begged me to take care on his daughter. And I fulfilled that promise. I was the one who gave to Hekate Aranus, Grindelwald sign, that now belongs to his grandson.'  
  
'But the poison...?' whispered Vega 'Minerva saw everything...She saw Snape bending over your body...'  
  
'That's true' said Severus calmly 'not to kill him, however, but to save his life. Impostor didn't mention that he caught up Albus first and pricked him with a poisoned dagger. He had stolen several drops of the Morsanguis potion from my office, he wanted to be sure that the task would be executed. He didn't know however,' he smiled sneeringly staring at Sirius with hatred 'that the poison would not kill Dumbledore. There wasn't the blood of the Dark Lord in it. It was still very powerful potion, but I had an antidote. I didn't prepare that potion to destroy Dumbledore 'Snape's black eyes flashed widely 'But YOU!'  
  
With lighting speed he pulled out from his sleeve a little knife of a thin, cylindrical blade and cast it at Voldemort. The Dark Lord didn't move. He was staring hypnotised at the steel flying towards him. But suddenly, when the blade almost touched his heart, McNair lunged forward and shielded the wizard with his own body. The knife stuck in his throat up to its helve. The Death Eater groaned hoarsely and fell to the ground.  
  
Next second Dumbledore said loudly an incantation and the ropes, binding Vega's hands, untied. The Auror bent immediately and pulled out a wand, hidden in her boot. The Death Eaters stood paralysed.  
  
'Killed them!!!' roared Voldemort and he had hardly managed to dodged a fiery disc cast in his direction by Dumbledore.  
  
Sirius turned round to Snape, his dark eyes were burning with the purest loathing.  
  
'_Avada Kedavra_ !' he sceamed laughing madly.  
  
Severus clenched his teeth and rose his wand but in the same moment Vega appeared in front of him, yelling: '_Reflectio!_'  
  
A blinding light flashed, somebody howled shrilly. Snape closed his eyes. When he opened them again, Sirius Black was lying on the stone floor, motionless, dead.  
  
Vega staggered and she would fall down if Severus hadn't hold her up.  
  
'Are you all right ?' he asked anxiously but before the witch could answer, a Death Wave swooped on them.  
  
'_Protectio _!' the called in unison.  
  
The stroke pushed them several steps backwards but the shield resisted. Vega and Severus looked at each other, smiled and attacked the Death Eaters like two angels of death, sowing terror and death.   
  



	22. Armageddon

22. Armageddon   
  
Wormtail was crouching behind the pillar, chattering his teeth with fear. He was terrified. He had enough of that all. He was dreaming about one thing: to escape as far as he could from that dreadful, gloomy place. As far as he could from the Death Eaters and Aurors, as far as he could from the cruel, devilish Lord Voldemort, whose presence always filled him with an icy dread. He peeped out carefully from behind the pillar. Now he had a chance. The wizards, absorbed in fighting, wouldn't notice a small, crouched figure, silently slipping away from the hall and disappearing in the darkness of the corridors.  
  
It was the only chance ! Wormtail stiffened, looked around for the last time and than his eyes met Harry. The boy was sitting curled up where Snape had pushed him, behind the marble platform of Voldemort's throne, his eyes fixed on the fighting people. Wormtail gasped in terror. Harry didn't realise that from behind, noiselessly zigzagging over the smooth floor, a huge, black snake was creeping towards him. Yellow, rapacious eyes were staring at the pray with a cruel pleasure.  
  
Wormtail shivered and clenched his fingers on the cold surface of the pillar. Nagini was closer and closer to Harry. She stopped just behind him, slowly rose her head and opened her mouth. Sharps fangs glittered and shudder ran down the two-left tongue.  
  
'No ! Leave him alone!' cried Wormtail and, unable to believe what he was doing, he rushed towards Harry.  
  
Nagini hesitated for a moment and that was enough. Wormtail reached the platform and sprang at the snake with bare hands.  
  
'No!' he shrieked shrilly 'I will not let you kill him!'  
  
Harry turned round and was horror-struck. Nagini waved her thick tail, as if she was driving away a tiresome fly and with one stroke she pushed the wizard several meters away. Peter fell to the ground, panting and moaning with pain, But he knew he had to pull himself together. He rose his head and saw sharps fangs close in front of him and felt hot breath of Nagini on his face. A dry crack could be heard and Harry screamed shrilly when the headless body fell on the blood-stained floor.  
  


* * *

Snape looked coldly in the glazy, dead eyes of David Lestrange who had been completely turning inside out by a brutal Dual Curse. He cast a sweeping, indifferent glance at the bodies of the killed wizards and looked around. Near the marble platform he saw Vega who had just cut Nagini's head with a single wave of her wand.  
  
Something boomed behind his back and the whole room has been lit by a red-gold glow of a Fire Wall. Snape turned round just in time to see the powerful Voldemort's curse reflected from the Dumbledore's cover and flew over their heads with a blazing breath.  
  
The wizard crossed burning gazes and rose their wands.  
  
'_Avada Kedavra_!' they cried in unison.  
  
Two green rays shot from both sides and rushed towards each other with a terrific speed. They met and a powerful explosion filled the hall with a light-green light. The jolt was so strong that the window-panes shattered into pieces, walls shook and dust fell from the ceiling.  
Vega was staring at the fighting wizards with a real fascination, her concentrated eyes recording every detail of the duel. She has never seen something like that before. Wizards wands' had been connected with a green ray which was quivering and vibrating, scattering the bright sparkles all around. It was clear that the opponents' power was almost equal and none of them could break the curse of the another. It cost them, however, a lot of energy and they were quickly loosing their strengths.  
  
Dumbledore was panting heavily, his forehead was covered with sweat. Voldemort's face twisted in the paroxysm of fury, his red eyes were burning.  
  
'Vega, kill him !!!' he yelled to the Auror 'Kill him and all world would be ours!  
  
Vega was motionless, her face didn't express any feelings.  
  
'Kill him, daughter !' called the Dark Lord.  
  
Dumbledore stagger and the wand almost slipped from his shaking hand. He held it, however, and supported the wrist with the other hand. The ray stabilised.  
  
'Vega, you have right to hate me' he gasped with effort 'I didn't tell you the truth. It was mistake. Not the only one I made...' his hand started to shake again, he clenched his teeth 'For all those years when the terror of Lord Voldemort was spreading all over the world, I couldn't forget that I'm also responsible for that...' he staggered and took one step backwards. 'Anytime I recalled the names of the murdered wizards and Muggles, I knew that their blood is in on my hands, too...' he looked at Vega and his blue eyes flashed 'But Voldemort is the evil! ' he cried 'You know it ! He must be destroyed for the whole world's good ! And only you can do that !'  
  
Vega was still silent, her eyes were cold and impenetrable.  
  
'Don't listen to those rubbish!' howled the Dark Lord 'There is evil in YOU, too! You are my daughter ! You are same like me !'  
  
'Damn, Vega ! Do something!' hissed Snape staring at the Auror with more and more anxiety. The witch smiled with bitter irony. She looked at Voldemort, then at Dumbledore. There were only hatred in her dim eyes.  
  
'Sev, take Harry away from here!' she said dryly.  
  
Snape turned pale and looked at her with a strange pain.  
  
'What are you going to do?' he asked dully full of the worst feelings 'You are not...'  
  
'GO !!!' yelled Vega 'And I will finish it once for ever!'  
  
Severus was watching her silently. He understood much too well what those words meant. He smiled gloomily.  
  
Did you really think I would leave you alone?' he said calmly 'Potter, go immediately...'  
  
'_Stupefy_!' cried Vega desperately.  
  
Snape fell down on the floor.  
  
'Harry, pick up Severus' wand and take him away from here' said the Auror 'Call when you are far beside the walls of the castle.'  
  
Harry stared at her with despair but he knew there was no other way. He waved the wand and unconscious Snape hung in a mid-air. Vega looked at him with a desperate longing, sighed heavily and told Harry to get out. The boy nodded and hurriedly run from the hall.  
  
The Auror turned slowly towards the fighting wizards. They must have been holding their wands with the remnants of strengths and didn't even realise what was happening around them. Vega was watching them with a gloomy pensiveness. Suddenly she heard Harry's powerfully amplified voice.  
  
'OK.!'  
  
Vega's eyes shone like two stars and her lips twisted in devilish smile.  
  
'See you in hell !' she hissed with hatred, rose her wand and scanned in a cold, rigid voice:  
  
'_ ARMAGEDDON_ !!!'  
  
Harry saw only a white light that suddenly flared up in the room on the first floor. Next second everything was plunged in a blinding sheen and in a deafening explosion that tore out the castle from its foundations and cast it into the starry sky in a gigantic fountain of fire and stones.  
  



	23. Epilogue

23. Epilogue:  
  
'_Enervate!_' whispered Harry pointing the wand at Snape.  
  
Severus opened his eyes, looked around...  
  
'Potter...?' he muttered surprised 'What the hell...'  
  
Suddenly he remembered everything. He sprang to his feet and fixed burning eyes on Harry.  
  
'What happened?!' he cried widely 'Where is Vega?'  
  
Harry lowered his head, tears rose to his eyes. The words couldn't get out from his throat. He couldn't tell him ...  
  
He didn't have to. Severus guessed everything. He slowly turned round and looked at the vast rubble that several minutes ago had been Lord Voldemort's castle. Snape groaned desperately, he sank to his knees and hid face in his hands.  
  
Somewhere among the heap of rubble a stone slid down and hit the ground with a loud bang. Harry rose his eyes and stood petrified. Among the clouds of thick, grey smoke a human silhouette emerged.  
  
'Professor!' he called warningly, he run to Snape and shook him vigorously 'Look! There is somebody there...'  
  
Severus stared at him wit such an expression as if he didn't understand what Harry had said. But there was something in the boy's eyes that made him turn his head in the same direction...  
  
He jumped up, looking intently at the approaching figure, every second more and more visible. The wind blew and scattered the smoke. Severus gasped. He couldn't believe his own eyes !  
  
'VEGA !!!' he cried, run the to witch and grasped her in his arms 'You are alive !'  
  
Vega smiled faintly.  
  
'Of course I am,' she muttered looking at Snape with tenderness 'You will not get rid of me so easily...'  
  
Severus was beside himself with happiness. He brushed sticky wisps of hair away from Vega's forehead, he stroked her dirty cheek. He couldn't take off her his eyes, brimming over with deep love.  
  
Harry hemmed.  
  
'Erh...professor' he mumbled 'How...how did you do that?!'  
  
The Auror smiled with satisfaction.  
  
'I used a Triple Shield' she explained 'Such a useful invention of mine, extremely strong Defensive Spell. Armageddon is such a powerful curse that it usually takes two or three seconds between the incantation and the action. And it was enough for me.'  
  
'I always knew you were the most powerful witch in the world!' said Snape with a deep conviction.  
  
Vega's grey eyes twinkled mysteriously.  
  
'You're right...' she said lengthily and a nasty tone sounded in her voice, like a cold, gloomy sneer 'Now I am really the most powerful...'  
  
Harry shivered though he didn't know why. Severus was watching Vega concentrated.  
  
'Voldemort is dead' said the Auror 'Dumbledore is dead. No one will stand in my way...'  
  
She laughed shrilly and Harry felt his heart stopped beating and cold fear squeezed his throat. He knew that laugher, cruel and ruthless...  
  
'The new era is coming!' yelled Vega with a devilish twinkle in her eyes 'The era of the DARK ARTS !!!'  
  
Harry was staring at her thunderstruck.  
  
'What...what are you talking about...?' he whispered in a shaking voice.  
  
Vega's face twisted in a triumphant smile.  
  
'About the NEW EMPIRE !!!' she cried widely, her eyes were burning 'We have Dementors. We will bribe the Giants. We will gather remains of the Death Eaters. They used to serve the Dark Lord so they will join unhesitatingly the Dark Lady. I will build up an army no one ever dreamt of !' she laughed shrilly 'Before a month expires, all the world either lie down at my feet or I will drown in the ocean of blood !'  
  
Snape was staring at her with adoration, his black eyes expressed fanatic faithfulness and devotion.  
  
'It will be as you wish, my Lady!' he said with a smile and bowed with esteem...  
  
  


THE END


End file.
